18 Ways to Find Wonder in the Waiting
The strength of patience hangs on our capacity to believe that God is up to something good for us in all our delays and detours. John Piper
Waiting.
Another name for suffering.
Unmet needs.
Unfulfilled desires.
Unrealized dreams.
Doubts creep in.
Hope fades
in the space between
now and not yet.
Anxieties swell.
Fear grips us hard.
Waiting.
Another name for teacher.
Waiting teaches us patience.
Patience, rarely ever learned
without waiting,
teaches us to trust.
Patiently waiting demands
we create a space for God
to complete His work in us
and in our lives.
The impossible becomes possible
when we surrender,
relinquish control.
Anxieties are alleviated.
Fears abate.
Patience flourishes.
Endurance increases.
Waiting.
The greatest teacher
of all.
18 Ways to Find Wonder in the Waiting
1. Pray. A lot. With thanksgiving.
2. Worship. Make a playlist of music that nourishes your soul.
3. Watch a sunset.
4. Immerse yourself in a good book.
5. Sit on a beach and listen to the rhythm of the waves.
6. Write a love letter to your favorite person.
7. Buy a petite bouquet of flowers and put them in a stemless wine glass filled with water.
8. Journal at Barnes and Noble.
9. Learn how to decorate cookies by watching YouTube videos.
10. Make a coffee date with a trusted friend.
11. Find something to be grateful for each day.
12. Visit a museum.
13. Go to a local farmers market.
14. Buy a funny card and send it to a friend.
15. If it’s Springtime, plant bright red Geraniums.
16. Delete the apps on your phone you no longer use.
17. Organize one ‘catch all’ kitchen drawer.
18. Stroll through a botanical garden.
What About You?
Recall a time when you had to wait for something.
Describe your waiting experience. What were you feeling, thinking and doing?
From the list above, pick one you’d most likely do during your next season of waiting.
Predict how this might impact your waiting experience.
