However, things didn't go quite as planned, and that is not always a bad thing. I end this month with not as many answers as I had hoped for. I'm lacking in the advice department, too. Therefore the smugness was kept at bay.
Have I learned how to wait? Kind of, sort of. Forcing myself to write on this topic every day helped me to realize that I am learning how to wait, just not in the ways I wanted. You know, the easy ways. Here are five things (I think) I learned this month:
- Be authentic about the waiting - the good, the bad, the ugly. Lisa Jo Baker wrote this on her blog today, "I believe because of the altars left by the storytellers who came before me. ... I type and I tell because how can I not?" It resonated with me this morning, and it is still speaking to me tonight.
- Don't wait alone. Community makes the waiting bearable. Even when they might not even realize that they're helping you with the waiting.
- Your present waiting is not always a result of something you did in the past. Sometimes it is just life. But the waiting can be used for God's glory if you are open to that.
- Enjoy the gift of the day, even when it is hard, especially when it is hard. Remember that there is more to life than just this (sometimes all-consuming) aspect of it.
- Pray. It might not be lengthy or flowery or even as consistent as you think it should be. Keep praying anyway.
Wonderful, wonderful things.
ReplyDeleteSteph
Thanks for sharing your heart---our family is in a time of waiting for "what's next" in our lives jobwise and location-wise (which I passionately HATE!!). I have appreciated things you have shared during this series...and I especially like your concise summary today. I'm learning (oh-so-slowly) to let go, relax, rest, and try to enjoy the journey, even while we are waiting.
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