All of our lives are just one big waiting season after another.  We are all waiting on something.

Whether we’re waiting on test results or acceptance letters or a marriage proposal or a loved one to peacefully pass away after a long battle.
Or whether we’re in a job we don’t love and we’re trying to figure out our next step.
Or we’ve got five colleges to choose from and we can’t tell which one to go to.
Or we’re in a hard marriage and we don’t know if it’ll ever get better.
Or we’re going through a divorce and don’t know if we’ll ever feel normal again.
Or we’re longing for a semblance of normalcy to return to this crazy world of ours.
Or we’re just hurting.
And we want to feel just a little bit happy again. And we don’t know if we ever will or when it’ll kick in or if this is our lot.

We are all waiting.  We are a waiting people, us humans.

And we have a choice: we can wait well or we can wait poorly.

Because remember: though we typically cannot control our circumstances, we can always control how we think and respond to our circumstances.

Waiting poorly might look something like this:
Complaining. To everyone. All the time. Day after day.
Or conversely, holding in your feelings so your irritability comes out inappropriately on unsuspecting victims.
Stopping praying because it feels pointless or because you’re upset with God.
Obsessing on whatever the thing is you’re waiting on, becoming self-absorbed.

Does this sound like you right now? (It’s okay if it does…all grace here because I’ve been right there with you.)

But waiting well can look like this:
Praying. Committing your desire to God, believing that he will give you the desires of your heart if they line up with his character and will for you.
Surrendering. I told Jesus that I felt lost today. That the waiting and unknowing were hard for me. I was super honest, totally crying through my prayers. But then I asked him what he wanted to teach me in the waiting and I asked him to help me wait well.
Expressing. Get your feelings out. Share them with someone: a coach, a best friend, a counselor.
Gratitude. Every day you have something to be thankful for. Every single day. Your life, your health, your breath, your home, your family, your friends, your God. So, thank him.
Living. Listen, sometimes bad news requires an interim of grieving. I totally get that. Yes, stay in bed for a day. Yes, cry your eyes out. Yes, punch a pillow. But then, sweet ones, we must keep living our lives, even in the murky. Even in the swirly panic. Even in the waiting and the unknowns. So, as we say in recovery, do the next right thing when you don’t know what else to do. Do what your day and life need you to do.

Waiting is hard. Waiting is part of life. Every person is waiting for SOMETHING. You cannot avoid waiting. But you can decide how you will wait.

So, sweet girl, what’ll it be: will you wait poorly or will you wait well?

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. –Psalm 27:14
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. –Psalm 37:7
And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. –Psalm 39:7
I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me, and heard my cry. –Psalm 40:1
With all we have to look forward to – [the new heavens and the new earth] – we will live in peace. –II Peter 3 (TPT)