Have you ever found yourself in a season of waiting on the Lord? This type of waiting leaves me eager and antsy at every turn and has me bracing myself to prepare for impact.
These are the seasons when you are ready and anticipating what God has in store for you next, but you have no indication of when His “next” will come. My husband and I have been in one of those seasons for the last year.
We have eagerly awaited what He has been calling us to and preparing us for. Along the way, there have been glimpses of what we thought might be the “next” thing He had in store for us, and yet when we thought we had arrived at the “next” thing, God had more in store for us to wait on. I can now look back on the last year and chuckle at the amount of ‘epiphanies’ we had, assuming that we knew what God was up to – forgetting that His ways are so much higher than ours, His plans so much grander than our own.
I wrestled in my relationship with the Lord during this waiting. I expressed my anger toward Him when what I thought was “next” did not pan out. I lamented the season of waiting that continued to drag on much longer than I anticipated. I mourned the misplaced expectations I had for the year. And He faithfully provided His comfort through His continued presence.
This season of waiting has included: separation from our first foster love, searching for the next Kingdom assignment that allows us to thrive in the gifts God has given us, anticipating the birth of our first biological child, and enduring the label of a “high risk” pregnancy, just to name a few.
I have not carried myself with the gentleness, peace, patience, or kindness of the Spirit. The waiting has made me weary. Despite my doubts, I desperately clung to the hope that is only found in Him. My most-played song on Spotify this year was Wait on You by Elevation Worship/Maverick City Music. It has become an anthem over this season of waiting – a banner declaring God good, faithful, and Sovereign over every detail.
And wouldn’t you know it, God has at just the right time (and within the last weeks) provided that “next” thing. A position for my husband that marries his gifts and skills with his passion for ministry. A path for reconciling with our first foster love and getting to be mom and dad for him again. A series of test results in a healthy range for me and for the baby I’m carrying.
In each of these provisions, we have been overwhelmed by the faithfulness of God, providing above and beyond what we ever could have expected in what was coming “next.”
Our waiting is not yet done. We know that even though we have a glimpse of what is immediately “next,” we will walk through several more seasons of waiting as we anticipate our reunion with Him. But we also have confidence in His steadfastness – that
“[those] that wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength
Wait On You – Elevation Worship
They shall walk, and not get weary, They shall run, and not faint
That’s what happens when you wait… You get a little stronger”
May this be an encouragement to those of you who find yourself in your own season of waiting…declare your trust in His faithfulness, despite your own doubt, with a resolute I’m gonna wait on You, and then wait—ready yourself for how He will show up and what He will do.
Peyton Marple
Peyton is a part of our Christ’s Church family and serves as Director of Events at our Impact ministry partner, Ozark Christian College.
Peyton is pictured here with her husband, Austin.
