Have you ever found yourself caught up in the waiting game? That place where you are waiting on God to give clarity, solution, answers, steps, anything that will direct you to the next part of your purpose? I have. I completely believe that God has perfect timing and if we choose to trust, He lays opportunities before us at ideal times. Sometimes we patiently wait and other times we charge ahead and see where our independence will take us. But when we are waiting, hoping and expecting greatness to come at the perfect moment, I think sometimes we miss all the other opportunities in front of our nose. In other words, we may be waiting for some answers in one area of our life, but there are probably several areas where we have a green light and should be proactive, moving, serving, giving and loving… while we wait. Psalm 37:3 tells us to “Trust the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.” (NLT) Waiting is active. I think I mistakenly envision waiting as someone sitting on a bench waiting for their companion to arrive OR someone sitting in a waiting room waiting for their name to be called OR someone looking at 3 doors in front of them, waiting for the “right one” to automatically open at just the right time. But, maybe God’s idea of waiting in one area is His direction to be moving in another area. Maybe that automatic door just isn’t going to open until we get the other areas (where we do have direction), moving in our lives. For thelast 6-9 months I have been playing the waiting game. I’ve been seeking the Lord for my next steps in career and how to fulfill my purpose. And, do you know what He did? Told me to get moving in other areas of my life. Pray and trust, pray and trust. Many of my early days in the process were spent wondering, hoping, praying, having a few pity parties in between, trusting, speaking words of life… I wasn’t getting much direction, if any- only reassurance in His love and His commitment to me. “Plans to prosper me and not harm me; to give me hope and a future (Jer 29:11).” God didn’t stop speaking, he was just giving me direction in areas I wasn’t actively praying about. When I started seeking Him first and not solutions and steps to my career scenario, I began actually hearing words of direction. No, they weren’t the words I was seeking, what my heart longed to hear, but they were words of direction:
Get more rest
Invest in some friendships with other moms
Connect in a life group
Enjoy the joys of marriage and turn up the romance
Begin blogging on whole living and looking for opportunities to write elsewhere
Give sacrificially more often In reality, I was actually getting a lot of direction. When I began turning down the noise of my mind and moving in other areas, I began to bloom. We are all in some type of waiting game in our lives. It’s tough because for many, if not all of us, waiting is dull, boring and a reminder of what we don’t have. But I know, from experience, that it is actually an opportunity to move in another area that will produce confidence, satisfaction, fulfillment and character. And many times it unlocks to door to the answer you have been waiting on. No, it doesn’t always make sense, but seeking first the kingdom of God is the master key. TRUTH: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
