Personal Development

Can we talk about waiting for a minute? Because I’m not good at it. Not even a little bit.

I’m the woman who stands in front of the microwave yelling “come ON” when there’s 45 seconds left. I refresh package tracking like my staring at it is going to make that truck drive faster. I’ve been known to hit the elevator button four times, as if the elevator heard me the first time and decided to take its sweet time out of spite.

So you know I’ve had some real, honest, not-so-pretty conversations with God about His timing.

“Lord, I prayed about this in March. It’s September. Hello?? Are You there??”

If you’ve ever prayed something like that, you’re in good company. Grab your coffee and sit with me a minute.

We Live in a Microwave World

Everything around us is built for right now. Two-day shipping. Same-day delivery. Streaming shows the second they drop. Answers to any question in about three seconds flat.

And somewhere along the way, without even meaning to, we started expecting God to work like an app on our phone. Pray it in the morning, see it by dinner. And when that doesn’t happen, we start wondering if He heard us at all. Or worse, if He just doesn’t care.

But God has never once operated on our schedule. He isn’t slow. He’s intentional. And those are two very different things.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8)

Waiting on Him vs. Him Waiting on the Moment

Here’s what He’s been teaching me, slowly (because apparently that’s how I learn everything).

I’m not actually waiting on God. God is waiting on the right moment. And sometimes, honestly, He’s waiting on me.

Waiting for my heart to be ready. Waiting for my hands to be strong enough to carry what I’m asking for. Waiting for the other pieces, the people, and the doors I can’t even see yet to line up.

When I look back over my life, I can see it so clearly now. Some of the things I begged for years ago? If He’d handed them to me the day I asked, I would’ve dropped them. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have the wisdom, the patience, or the backbone yet.

And some of the doors I cried over staying shut? They were protecting me from rooms I had no business walking into. I didn’t understand it then. I thank Him for it now.

The Bible Is Full of Waiting Rooms

If you think you’ve been waiting a long time, look at some of the folks God used.

Abraham and Sarah waited around twenty-five years for the son God promised them. Twenty-five years! Sarah got so tired of waiting she tried to fix it herself, and let’s just say that didn’t go the way she hoped. (I see you, Sarah. I’ve “helped God out” a few times myself and made a mess every time.)

Joseph was a teenager when God gave him those big dreams. Then he got thrown in a pit by his own brothers, sold, falsely accused, and locked in prison. About thirteen years went by before those dreams came to pass. But every single one of those hard years was shaping him into the man who could save a whole nation, including the brothers who betrayed him.

David was anointed king as a young shepherd boy, then spent years running for his life in caves before he ever sat on that throne.

Not one of these waits was wasted. Not one. God was working the entire time, even when it looked like nothing was happening.

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

An appointed time. Not a random time. Not a forgotten time. Appointed.

What Waiting Is Actually For

I used to think of waiting as dead time. Wasted time. Just something to get through.

But the waiting season isn’t empty. It’s where the roots grow. You can’t see roots from the top of the soil, but that’s exactly what keeps a tree standing when the storms come. God is doing deep work in you right now that you won’t fully see until later.

Waiting teaches us to trust Him when we can’t trace Him. It strips away our need to control every little thing. It shows us what we really believe about who He is. And if we let it, it softens us instead of hardening us.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Notice it doesn’t say those who wait will get bored, bitter, or burnt out. It says they’ll be renewed. Waiting on Him, really leaning into Him in the meantime, is where the strength comes from.

How to Wait Well (When You Really Don’t Want To)

I’m not going to pretend I’ve got this mastered. I’m still that woman at the microwave. But here are a few things that help me when the wait gets heavy.

Tell Him the truth. He can handle your frustration. Read the Psalms. David did not hold back. God would rather have your honest heart than your polished performance.

Look back before you look forward. Write down the times He’s come through for you before. When you can’t see what He’s doing now, remembering what He’s already done will steady you.

Keep showing up. Keep doing the next faithful thing right in front of you. Waiting doesn’t mean sitting still. Joseph kept serving well, even in prison.

Stop trying to “help” Him. If you’re forcing doors open that He’s keeping shut, it might be time to take your hands off. (Me first, raising my hand. 🙋‍♀️)

Find your people. Don’t wait alone. Let somebody pray with you and remind you of the truth on the days you forget it.

He Hasn’t Forgotten You

So if you’re sitting in a waiting season right now, tired, discouraged, and wondering if He forgot about you, please hear me.

He didn’t forget. He’s not late. He’s not ignoring you. He’s not punishing you. He’s working in ways you can’t see yet, and He’s getting you and everything around you ready for what’s coming.

“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

His time. Not microwave time. Not two-day shipping time. His time. And His time has never once been wrong.

Keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep walking. The answer is on its way, and it’s going to be right on time.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments. What are you waiting on God for right now? Let me pray for you. 🙏

With so much love,
Momma J 🤍

Need somewhere to sit with God while you wait? Check out Still, Small Voice and Grace Unfolding. And come hang out with me on Instagram @mommajscozycottage.