3 Things to Remember in a Season of Waiting
Have you ever just watched the snowfall?
Each little snowflake spirals down from the sky in a journey to find its resting place on the ground. As it’s falling, it is tough to imagine that it will amount to anything. After all, each snowflake is really not much bigger than a small grain of sand.
And yet, the snowflakes keep spiraling down one by one until suddenly there is a fine coating of wet white fluff on the ground. Eventually, the continued determination of each little snowflake works together to create an inch and then a foot of snow.
Once the snow is on the ground, it can take days or weeks for the snow to finally melt away and that’s because once each snowflake sticks to another, they bond together. They are no longer just one seemingly insignificant snowflake, but they are all intrinsically part of a bigger picture.
In life, there are seasons where we are called to wait. Maybe you’re waiting to find love, waiting to get out of debt, waiting for your career to kickoff, or just waiting for your next vacation. Whatever you’re waiting for, I want to remind you of three things to remember during this season of waiting.
The Purpose of Waiting
Few things test our patience better than having to wait for something. Especially in a world where we can have nearly anything we want at the click of a button, it feels foreign and unfair to have to wait.
When I’m in a waiting season, it’s almost agonizing to wake up every morning to the same “not yet” feeling. However, it’s in this time that I am being prepared for whatever it is that I’m waiting for.
Take the snow, for example. Snow has to wait for the perfect weather conditions to fall, otherwise, it either turns into rain or it falls and doesn’t stick to the ground.
There is a purpose in this season of waiting, so it’s important to use this time wisely.
The Work in Waiting
Life isn’t going to just happen for you. You have to take daily intentional steps in order to achieve your goals.
The same thing is true for waiting. This is the “snowflake phase,” when you may feel like you’re falling aimlessly from the sky, bracing for impact.
However, when you take a step back and look at all of the seemingly small steps you’ve been taking over time, you’ll see that you’re actually a lot closer than you might think.
How does this pan out in a practical sense? Well, if you’re waiting to get out of debt, you need to be paying off a certain amount each month. If you’re waiting to find love, you should be meeting and getting to know people any chance you get so that you open yourself up to the opportunity. If you’re waiting for your career to take off, take this time to develop new skills and network.
You see, life happens in the work of waiting. Before you know it, these small steps turn into a light dusting of snow on the ground, and then an inch, and then a foot.
The Truth in Waiting
The ultimate truth about waiting is that it’s actually for our protection. If the snow didn’t fall one snowflake at a time, it would become an avalanche.
For example, if all of your debts are paid off by someone else, you may never learn the art of making and keeping a budget to stay out of debt for good. If you’re an overnight success, you likely won’t know how to be adaptable in the face of change or challenges.
The waiting season is actually a gift of grace to protect you and prepare you for whatever it is that we’re waiting for.
Sometimes, life may feel like a never-ending snowstorm. And in many ways, that’s exactly what it is. But the magic happens in the waiting.
If you’re in a season of waiting, I have a gift for you. My 21-Day Journal & Pray Challenge is full of thoughtful journal prompts designed to help you to work through the waiting.
My prayer for the challenge is that God would meet you where you are, but that He wouldn’t let you stay there. I pray that God would challenge you where you need to be challenged and comforted where you need to be comforted.
What are you waiting for? Join the challenge here.
