5 Things You Can Do While You’re Waiting

5 Things You Can Do While You’re Waiting

by Holley Gerth

“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles,  They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31

1) Get wise advice. I’ve spent a lot of time waiting in the last few years. And I keep hoping God will start using e-mail. Then I’ll just get up every morning and His agenda will be sitting in my inbox.

While that hasn’t happened yet, I have noticed that words from wise people in my life {through e-mail or otherwise} often do lead me to the answer God has for me.
Don’t be afraid to ask others for their perspective. “Many advisors make victory sure.” Proverbs 11:14

2) Pay Attention to the Details. I’m a big picture kind of girl. I think God should do the whole “handwriting on the wall” thing more often, don’t you?

But it seems uncovering His will is often more like connect-the-dots. So when I’m in seasons of waiting, I journal more. I write down every little thing that I think He’s saying to me. Over time, a pattern often emerges that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. It’s often the little things that lead us to the big ones.

3) Don’t Put the Rest of Your Life on Hold. When I’m waiting on God in one area, sometimes I come to a screeching halt in every area of my life. But it’s hard to steer a parked car.

Sometimes we find what we’re waiting on along the way–not when we stay. I love how in Isaiah says those who wait on the Lord will run and not grow weary and walk and not faint. There can still be a lot of movement going on during the waiting.

4) Forget the Fear. Sometimes we think we’re “waiting on God” when really we’re just waiting for the fear to go away. Here’s a hint: It’s won’t. The enemy will tell you that courage means the absence of fear as you move ahead. It doesn’t.
Faith means feeling the fear and moving ahead into God’s will anyway {remember Jesus sweating drops of blood before He went to the cross?}

5) Be Grateful for Where You Are. Oh, friends, I’m t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e at this one. Yep. I like to move on to the next thing. I look ahead and forget to enjoy and appreciate where I am today.

Sometimes I need to stop and remember that I’m living today in the answered prayers of yesterday. And that is reason to say a big ‘ol “thank you” a lot more often than I do.

Your turn: What’s one thing that helps you when you’re waiting?