When Waiting Is As Slow as Christmas
December is that time of year when the phrase “as slow as Christmas” seems to take the most meaning because…well…waiting is as slow as Christmas. At least it can feel that way, right?
Are you waiting on something? Is your heart just pining from waiting?
I get it. You feel as if you’re looking up at the night sky to talk to God about this waiting—again. You’ve lost count of how many moons have passed. The stars don’t appear as bright; the twinkles faded as fast as your hope for that desire a long, long time ago. The blanket of darkness seems like it evaded your heart as well and night will live on there.
Your heart feels…sick.
This waiting is the equivalent of standing in line. Eventually you’re next. Your turn is supposed to come. But why hasn’t it?
Pick me, God! I’m still shuffling from foot to foot, my ears open, listening for the door to open!
This Verse on Waiting Means What??
A familiar, yet frustrating verse comes to mind when I think about waiting:
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 NKJV
That verse bothered me for a long time. Why did it leave me feeling hopeless after reading it?
It shouldn’t, since it’s God’s Word, after all.
I figured there should be verses following it, explaining the hidden keys to help endure the waiting. But it doesn’t seem that way. And God didn’t ask my opinion, either.
Nevertheless, I had questions.
I used to read that verse frequently thinking I was supposed to be…what? miserable?..until the desire came. THEN, I would feel all better.
If only THIS circumstance would change, or if only THAT would take place somehow, my desire will also come!
I had it all wrong; that was a trust in circumstances.
Maybe I didn’t want to hear the truth.
Perfect Training Ground
My mentors often responded to my frustrated pleas while waiting and searching for answers, “You must be patient and wait!”
That only seemed to frustrate me more; I wanted to be more proactive than that. I sought God for the key.
What would help endure this interminable waiting?
When I see the phrase, “tree of life” in the verse above I usually think of Psalm 1:3:
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
That is a picture of thriving in Christ. I need to be a healthy “tree” producing healthy “fruit” because people are going to “eat” from the fruit that is produced from my life.
The time frame that you’re enveloped in between the “hope being deferred” and the “desire coming” is a critical point of preparation. God does not want us to focus on our desire, but on our development. It’s the perfect training ground for what’s ahead. This responsibility is necessary on every level, both spiritually and in the natural.
When waiting is as slow as Christmas, focus on development over desire.
When waiting is as slow as Christmas, focus on development over desire.What Helps When Waiting Is Taking Forever
If God gave me what I wanted when I wanted it all the time, that would be like a kid getting her driver’s license at age ten. She’s not ready yet.
What will help endure the waiting?
Yielding to God as the cultivator of my “tree.” Allowing Him to cut out areas of dead, rotting fruit, even roots, and replace them with His righteousness.
I didn’t want to hear the truth of this before—sometimes I still don’t. But if I ignore this precious time of development, I can cause the fulfillment of my desire to be delayed.
Lately I’ve been feeling stuck while waiting in a certain area, and God’s been reminding me of this.
Do you feel stuck? You might be. Sometimes you reach a plateau while growing.
Ask God to reveal the reason; it might be one of these. But spiritual growth needs to be on your radar, too. Break past the plateau and get closer to God!
What could be better than living in His love and learning how to emulate it more to those around us?
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 NLT
Paul was certain that God’s work of spiritual maturity in you and me is ongoing.
What helps when waiting is as slow as Christmas and I feel stuck, is remembering that God is in charge of my life. He’s in charge of pairing my lessons to my releasing.
It’s the same for you, too. Once He sees that you’ve learned all you need to learn for the season you’re about to walk into, He will release you to the next phase of your life.
God Has a Date on His Calendar
God places desires for His will inside you. They increase the more you walk with Him.
Just as Christmas Day always finally rolls around, your desire will come. God has a date on His calendar with your name on it. He’s just getting you ready.
In the meantime, it’s time to prepare those Christmas gifts!
I want to know: What dreams are you waiting on and how do you see God preparing your heart for that desire?
RELATED: The Holy Spirit Uses the Dictionary: 10 Verses on Patience
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Oh, the waiting! It nearly kills me every time. I love the reminder that God has a date on His calendar. And I’m glad I’m not alone in the struggle. Thank you for the encouragement!
Waiting used to be so much more of an agony. Now getting God’s perspective helps. I’m so glad it encouraged you, Amanda! Thanks for saying so! 🙂
I’m not a good “waiter”. I begin to doubt myself and my desire. This is a good reminder for me, to use the period of waiting to grow!
Ah, the doubt! Yeah, that’s frustrating. It’s a good reminder for me, too. Thanks for joining us here, Katrina!
“Focus on development over desire.” Such great advice! Waiting isn’t easy, but it is a little less painful when we can see purpose in it.
Exactly! Then I start to get excited about that. 🙂
This reminds me of something I’m working on currently. This used to be an area of struggle for me, it’s still not always easy in the waiting however I’ve learned some not so easy lessons when I’ve tried to push my agenda instead. I love how you used focus on the development that God wants in you during the waiting, that sticks to my heart!! We can still always stay busy in Kingdom work regardless if we are waiting or not!!
Me too, April! I’ve been so stubborn at times for what God wanted until He finally got through my thick skull! lol And yes, we can always be serving in His Kingdom. 🙂