In The Waiting

There’s so much talk of comparison these days. Of how social media feeds it, enables it. And it's painted as the worst thing in the world. These apps that foster a pressure to pretend to have more than we have, to be more than we are, are harmful, the studies say, and we must be careful how we use them.

And I get it. I’ve also felt that familiar twinge of jealousy, if only for a moment, when someone posts a beautiful photo of a place I’ve been longing to visit. I’ve wondered how other people can have their life so apparently together - perfect workout routine, perfect hair, perfect outfit. At the end of the day, I (we) know that it isn’t real, that much of it is posed and filtered and altered, but that doesn’t change the fact that it reminds us of our own unfulfilled wants and desires. That picture perfect family can make you wonder when you will have your own. The person with the dream job can make your 9-5 feel like the most meaningless thing in the world.

The truth is, I don’t have a fix-all solution for it besides learning to be grateful for what we have and reprioritize our values. But at the end of the day, even those things aren’t going to make your dreams suddenly appear before your eyes. Many times, there will still be waiting. And though we may (hopefully) adjust our attitude while we wait, that doesn’t mean those dreams are guaranteed to come true any faster.

So what do we do then, as we wait, aside from shifting our perspective? Is there any purpose to a waiting season apart from the waiting itself?

I think there is. I think there is so much purpose in the waiting seasons, paralyzed and pointless as they may seem. There’s something special, something hidden, about the moments in our lives when we are waiting and working for our dreams to come to pass. This beautiful, rare opportunity that we get to draw in close to God in a way that will set the foundation for the rest of our lives.

And I'm not just talking about committing yourself to attending church more, to volunteering, to getting plugged into community. Though all those things can certainly play a part. I'm talking about truly pursuing God. I’m talking about asking Him to reveal His love to you, and then learning to find yourself in it.

See, there is a blessing inside the seasons of our lives that are not quite so “busy” with us living out our dreams. The quiet seasons, the hidden seasons, the waiting seasons, are meant to build a foundation with Him that will carry us through the rest.

We see it in David’s life when he was out in the shepherd fields before anyone knew his name. That was where he first learned of God’s love, where the focus and priority for his life was formed. Later, as he was pursued by Saul in year after year of unfulfilled promises, he once again drew near to God - we see the evidence written plainly in the Psalms. And his character was shaped and molded and transformed once again, and it prepared him to someday become a good king (not perfect, but indeed a man who sought after God’s own heart).

So, if you are in a waiting season, I just want to ask you this: Is it really just a waiting season? Or is there something more, perhaps, that you might be missing? That you haven’t yet tapped into?

Perhaps this is meant to be one of the most incredible seasons of your life. One that you will look back on forever with fondness because of all God showed you throughout it. Maybe it’s not just about the waiting, but about the seeking and the growing and the building.

The dreams will come, but they are not all there is to life. There is so much more. Even now, right here, wherever you are.