By: Stacy Heckman
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6
“Waiting is fun, isn’t it?!” …said no person ever.
Waiting might be one of the most difficult things for us to do. Whether it’s waiting for your doctor on a paper-lined table while wrapped in a thin gown, or waiting on a slow-moving car in front of you in traffic, or waiting on God to answer your earnest, heartfelt prayer… waiting is just plain hard.
When I really give some thought to why waiting is so challenging, I think it comes down to control. We want to control situations in our lives, and when we must wait for answers or solutions, that means we cannot control things.
We all can recall a time in our lives when we had to relinquish our schedule and wait on God’s timing. In my own life, I had a specific timeframe of when I wanted to get married, and when I wanted to have two kids. But when those babies didn’t happen at my preferred timing, and we had to wait six years and go through countless fertility procedures, and spend thousands and thousands of dollars, my patience was tried, my attitude was defeated, and I did not enjoy waiting on God to answer our prayers.
Of course now, more than a decade later, I can see God’s goodness, provision and love during that time of our lives. It was one of the most prayer-filled, intimate seasons with the Holy Spirit I have ever experienced. But when you’re in the midst of it - and have zero control – it seems almost impossible to wait.
Throughout our fertility journey, I had Philippians 4:6 taped to my bathroom mirror. This verse can seem very pleasant and easy to abide by; but don’t miss out on the words “with thanksgiving.” That can be the tricky part. When we are praying and asking God for answers, we still need to do it with a thankful heart…even when we have to wait.
Are you waiting on God’s answer for something right now? Are you praying with a thankful heart? Are you crying out to Him and being fully dependent on His plan for your life? I challenge you to think of times of waiting as a blessing. Let it be a time of closeness with our Savior, and trust in the fact that He is the all-knowing, all-loving Father and His timing is always perfect.