The Truth About Waiting
“I’m ready for more…”
These are words that often echo in my brain as I've been waking up in the mornings. If I’m honest with you, I can admit that I’ve found myself rising to my alarm in the early AM thinking one thing - “There has to be more.”
Have you ever been in a place where you just didn’t want to be there anymore? It could be a physical location or simply an area of your life, like finances, romance, or spirituality. When you feel stuck or at a halt, it’s never fun. I know. I've actually come to find that it’s quite painful.
Why painful?
Well, if you’re anything like me you might feel abandoned, disillusioned and a bit numb to hope. The simple art of waiting, if not done right, can make the best of us let go of dreams that we've had for decades. Waiting is a SERIOUS matter and can be the “maker" or “breaker" of dreams coming to pass in our lives. So, perhaps we should pay attention to how we’re waiting when we can do nothing but… well… wait.
First off, let’s just get this straight: nobody is designed to stay in the same place spiritually, physically, and emotionally all their lives. So, if you think I'm giving people hall passes here... you've got me all wrong. We’re made to grow. We’re made to move forward. We’re made to multiply. We’re made to give birth to things that will grow bigger than ourselves. That’s how God created us. That’s how we’re designed. (Matt 25:14-30)
So, back to this “more” thought… is it me being ungrateful? Or is it something, for lack of a better term, more?
At first, I thought I had an internal crisis going on within myself. I mean, I always try my best to practice being grateful for all I have. After having visited villages in places like Uganda and Haiti, I have realized really quickly that I'm truly blessed to have clothes to wear and food to eat. I really believe that.
So, when these feelings of not being satisfied with where I was in life began to hit me with a major intensity, I quickly thought, “There’s something wrong with me. Time to find a new way to practice the art of thankfulness in my life.”
That was until one early morning I read this—
"All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” - Romans 8:22-25 [MSG]
After many years of wondering why God was taking so long to bring certain dreams in my heart to pass, I was finally given an answer. Like, a REAL answer. Not one of those answers that your prideful friend tries to feed you out of a need to have an answer for everything (just being honest), but an answer that ended my questioning and gave me a sense of excitement that I could sit back and lean on.
For the first time ever, I realized that I wasn’t waiting because “I simply wasn’t ready yet” or because “I wasn’t good enough”… or because “God was punishing me” — trust me, I’ve heard them all.
I was, and still am, waiting in areas of my life that I have an extreme desire for more in because WAITING is where I'm not only awakened to see the details of what I'm TRULY called to do, but it's where I am ENLARGED.
Wow. Hello revelation.
While I wait, God is expanding my abilities to do things, adding to who I am, bringing to life giftings/talents I never had knowledge of, showing me how to love, preparing me to go beyond limitations that have been set before me and most importantly, teaching me who He is. He is awakening me to things/anointings/needs/ways that I need to get to where I'm going. He is ENLARGING me.
Therefore, it’s no longer a matter of when and how I’ll get to where I’m going. Let's get this straight: the dreams God has put in my heart are real… and because He loves me and His nature is not that of a cruel being, He will bring them to pass. The same is true for you. He gives you amazing dreams and because He loves you, He's going to make them happen. There's nothing you can do to screw it up, but say no.
Period.
Did I say "period"?
Ok. Thought so.
The true matter at hand is: am I allowing myself to be enlarged while I wait? Am I allowing God to cultivate in me a heart that hungers for Him? Am I allowing my selfishness to die? Am I allowing God to control my destiny, my path?
Or, am I just set on getting somewhere because I have an agenda?… or I have “needs"?… or I feel lonely?… or I need more money?… or I don’t feel like life is fair? … or I need to maintain my image?
or I…? or I..? or I…?
(see the theme going on here? Lots of "I".)
While you’re waiting, what are you focused on? Yourself? Or the one who you’re called to live for with all that you are? #RealQuestions - don't sue me.
If you're not sure what the answers are to the question above, here's another one: where do you find yourself super impatient or without joy in your life? Might be something or an area in your life that you need to surrender to the one you know had a plan for you before you were born. (Ephesians 3:20).
So, if you’re up for a challenge, I’d like to encourage you to let go of the “whens” —
“When is it my turn to get married?”
“When will I finally be able to make more money so I’m not living pay check to pay check?”
“When will I be acknowledged?”
“When will I have my first child?
“When will God do it for me?”
And grab ahold of the “whiles” —
“While I’m waiting to get married, I’m going to serve God with all I have”
“While I’m waiting for God to provide, I’m going to walk in joy”
“While I’m waiting for so-and-so to notice, I’m going to do my best in this other area of my life”
“While I wait… I’m going to not focus on the waiting and focus on my ENLARGING"
One of my biggest instances of where I'm trading one of my whens for whiles has been with the recent tragedy that happened in Paris, France. I’m not going to lie, it is incredibly easy to ditch my responsibility to constantly pray for the people involved in this past week's terrorist attacks that took over 100 lives by saying a speedy prayer coupled with a question like, “When is this world going to get better?” or “When are people going to see the light?”
But, you know what? Asking questions that begin with when leave the need for action at someone else’s door and is my way of doing NOTHING. I have all this power inside of me that can change our world and my when statements leave me thinking way to much and ALWAYS doing nothing… and sometimes even expecting others to do what I should be doing to make a difference.
No more.
I’m changing my whens to whiles and going to use the power inside of me to do what I can while our world is seemingly getting darker. While I wait on God to intervene on these dark times, I’ll be praying… believing. No more pawning the responsibility on others. I have work to do. It might not entail me flying to Paris or starting a riot, but my prayers can shake the earth and turn a situation like what just happened around for the good quicker than human effort alone could ANY day.
For real.
I think I’ve struck gold with this revelation: waiting is an opportunity. It is a divine chance to set things in motion that many people never grasp. Refuse to believe you know it all... and refuse to be in a rush. If you're waiting right now in your life, you've still got some things to set in motion. You've got an opportunity for the best life-plan designer to enlarge you. I don't know about you, but SIGN ME UP. ENLARGE ME ALL YOU NEED TO GOD.
#ImJustSaying. With that, I'll leave you with these 2 questions:
Are you taking your opportunity when it comes to the waiting you're doing?
Are you being enlarged in your waiting?
Growing large and in charge... or something like that (lol) - love ya,
Martay