I’ve had a few interesting weeks where waiting has been the big theme.

The idea of waiting can bring about feelings of eager anticipation, frustration, fear of the unknown, anxiety over the uncertain, hopeful expectation.

In both situations, I’ve been forced to just sit. There was no way I could hurry the circumstance along. I had zero control over what direction the answer would be when it finally came.

I knew what I thought the outcome would be but I did not know for sure…

so I had to wait.

Have you been there?

Sitting in the waiting?

Trying not to wonder too much?

Trying to just be in the moment?

There is nothing passive about that experience.

In fact, it could quite possibly be the most active I’ve ever been…active in doing nothing

As I waited I had time on my hands.

I don’t know about you, but that could be dangerous….too much time to let my mind wander into the worst case scenario of the unknown and sit in the abyss of anticipated anxiety.

Good times, huh?

The Lord is teaching me something different though.

I do not believe He is causing the scenarios of which I wait, but I do believe He is working on me in them.

Panic, fear, anxiety, despair are from the enemy and keep me immobilized.

The Lord wants me to overcome that. He wants me to see Him and trust Him even when life seems uncertain or scary or out of my control.

It is in the waiting where He teaches me how to do that.

Isaiah 30: 18 tells us that the Lord waits and longs to be gracious to you…He waits on high to have compassion on you for the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who long for Him.

In the waiting is where God is waiting for me …He is longing to shower me with His compassion that will sustain me.

It is in the waiting where I long for God to show me His compassion.

If I am spinning my wheels, fretting, worrying then I am in no position to receive His blessing …it is when I still myself in His presence that I am blessed.

What does that look like?

Trust me…I know what we wait for and I know the news we expect to hear can be life changing for the better but we fear for the worst…I know.

So what does it look like for me when I wait?

I breathe.

I do the next right thing.

I pray.

I choose peaceful activities when I can.

I simplify life where I can.

I rest if I can.

Quiet music.

Limit my talking.

Be intentional with where my thoughts wander toward.

Take captive my thoughts.

I told you~ it’s not passive at all.

The Lord is longing to show His compassion…we need to position ourselves to receive it.

Patience is accompanied by the peace that passes all understanding …trusting is allowing your hurting heart to be held by the One who knows you best and loves you most.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and He saves those who are crushed in spirit~ Psalm 34:18.