We are All Waiting for Something — Carol McLeod Ministries
Does your heart ache for something fiercely? Do you feel without the fulfillment of that desire you are floating down the river of life with a single, weathered paddle? Do you feel in a status of lack? It can be an easy trap to fall prey to the agreement that we have fallen behind where we believe in our minds we ought to be by now in life, or that such a hope will never come. For many this belief takes root in our outlook in life and even our perspective of how God loves, sees, and cares for us. The truth is everyone is waiting for something, someone, or some shift in life, it’s not just you.
Whether it is a career, a spouse, a child, a purpose, or even a new adventure, our hearts ache for what we believe should be next. It can grow tiresome when the should be is not immediately. What we must hold firm to is that we have a Father Who knows far more than we do about the timing of our lives, and He has an intentional path to get us there. He has not forgotten or forsaken us; He walks the journey with us. We must not let our present circumstances cast doubt on God’s character.
Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, but in all ways look to Him and He will make your path straight.” What this verse focuses on from the first word is the reminder to trust. How often do we look back in life and remark how if things had gone as we would have written them the whole story would have gone awry? How often do we recognize that a million little things had to go a certain way in certain timing to result in the blessing and benefit of it all in His timing? What if we took those examples and applied them to the circumstances we are waiting for right now?
God is the Story Maker, the Author, and He is worthy of our trust even when things do not appear to be good. We must rely in faith in His character, even when all seems hopeless. We must remember, too, that He sent His Son, Jesus to earth to live as a human to truly not just sympathize with, but to understand, what it means to be painstakingly human. Consider the death of Lazarus in John 11. Lazarus was a dear, dear friend of Jesus, and he fell ill while Jesus was away. He is sent word to come before things would become in the human vantage point irreversible. Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, must have ached as they awaited Jesus’s arrival, and then with great sorrow, felt their very hearts sink as Lazarus took his last breath. Four days after their brother’s body enters the tomb, at last Jesus arrives. To our surprise, we do not see Jesus raise Lazarus right away. Instead, we see our Savior offer a very genuine response of weeping over the loss of His dear friend. He knew His Father could raise Lazarus, yet He wept over the emotion of loss, despair, and understanding. The same Savior Who wept on earth sits with you in your moments of confusion, despair, and uncertainty as you await the shift, miracle, or answer.
Don’t underestimate what God is doing in you in the wait, or the story He wants to bring about in your life. How boring would life be if there were never climatic moments awaiting the unexpected to drop in to change the scene? How stagnant would the story feel without moments of Heaven’s fingerprints upon the story? Lastly, how little would you grow if not given the moments where your root system was not given opportunity to grow strong. Don’t underestimate how deep your roots are becoming, you Oak of Righteousness, as refinement, storms, and sanctification come your way. What a gift it is that He in kindness is allowing you to truly get the fullness of the experience on earth by these journeys.
Wherever or whatever you are waiting for today, trust the Author in the process. He knows exactly what He is doing. Ask Him what He desires for you to learn in this time, or if the time has come to stop waiting and to take that leap of faith with Him. Nourish your relationship with the Creator and see that your life is a gift to yourself and to all those who will draw strength and encouragement in their own walk as they hear the victory of your story.