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“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall renew your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” —Psalm 27:14 NKJV

What are you waiting for? What have you been praying about for what seems like an eternity? All of us have waited anxiously for a prayer to be answered or fulfilled. On some rare occasions the answer or fulfillment might come instantaneously, but for most of us we have to wait. Do you like that word? I don’t, to be honest.

Waiting isn’t fun, but time and time again in Scripture we hear the word wait. Psalm 27:13–14 carried me through some of the most difficult waiting seasons in my life—seasons in which I was forced to wait. Forced to wait for fulfillment of promises, hopes and dreams.

One of those less dramatic waiting seasons was when we were waiting for a house. My husband and I lived in a one-bedroom apartment for five years. I lovingly referred to it as “the cave.” Why? Because there was no direct sunlight in the apartment. There were windows, but no direct sun. Everything was covered by the third floor. I lived in a constant state of artificial light. Not to mention, we were sandwiched between the bottom floor and the top floor. Almost every night, I swore there was a stampede going on upstairs by the way our neighbor would run, jump, and pound on the floor at 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 in the morning. I’ll never forget when I was pregnant and a wild party was taking place upstairs. I was already having hot flashes, night sweats, and temper tantrums. I didn’t need pounding music and loud obnoxious voices waking me up at 2:00 A.M. The straw that broke the pregnant camel’s back was when two of the partiers decided to carry their conversation down to the edge of my patio. I had definitely had it. I jumped out of bed, flipped back the blinds, and started pounding my fist on the sliding glass door. My poor husband jumped out of a sound sleep yelling, “Get down!” He thought my pounding on the door was gun shots. Yes, it’s true.

Fast forward a bit and we have a baby sleeping in the one-bedroom apartment. There was no “baby room,” so he slept in the living room with the couches and fireplace. It was definitely a difficult season. We were very tight on finances and I had no choice but to trust God and continue to wait. It seemed like everyone around us was decorating their baby’s own room, or moving into a new house. And here we were waiting like bats in “the cave.” Don’t get me totally wrong; despite all the funny stories and lack of space, we were blessed. We had a roof over our heads and it was exactly all that we needed at the time. Memories in that apartment are going to be treasured for a lifetime by me and my hubby. The Lord is truly faithful!

But I have to admit that I wasn’t a gold medal winner in the marathon of waiting. I didn’t even come close to bronze. If there were a tin foil medal, I might have gotten that—for partial effort. And yet, God was so patient and loving with me and carried me through every moment of that waiting season. And just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore; God did what only He can do. He answered my prayer. I had half given up, but He hadn’t. He knew exactly what He wanted to do and when He wanted to do it, and He brought us just the right house.

And can I share something with you? I’m so glad I had to wait for our house. I’m so glad I was in that apartment, baby and all, for five years. If I had been given a house any sooner than God had ordained, I don’t think I would have been as thankful for it, as blessed by it, or as joyful. I wouldn’t have a testimony of God answering my prayer or of God providing for us day by day in that little apartment. I can say that about everything I have had to wait for!

Waiting isn’t fun when you’re in it, but the rewards are way better than you can imagine. Waiting is so much better in the long run than rushing ahead, making things happen, or taking things out of God’s hands.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him” (Lamentations 3:25 NKJV).

There have been much more emotional, dramatic things I have had to wait for. One of them was the blessing of having a child. What you are waiting for could be much more emotional or heart-wrenching than a different place to live.

What are you waiting for? Marriage, children, financial help, a house, car, job, healing?

Don’t lose heart; don’t give up. God hasn’t forgotten you! He loves you and is going to do something in His time. Even when it seems like everyone else is moving forward or getting the very things you are praying for . . . don’t lose hope! God loves you and is working everything out. So while you’re waiting, don’t be miserable and dishonoring to God. Look for the joy; look for the ways God is providing for you and helping you exactly where you are at. One day you will look back and see memories and thankfulness for this season of waiting.

“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 NKJV).