Waiting is the Hardest Part
Isaiah 40:31 | But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Romans 12:12 | Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Psalm 27:14 | Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.
James 1:12 | Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."
Tom Petty | Waiting is the hardest part.
My wife and I decided to start our family shortly after we got married. Well, I’m pretty sure God knew we were about to be a family so he let me think I had a say in “being ready.” Our son was born almost exactly nine months after “we decided” we were ready.
We wanted to have two kids - a boy and a girl - about two years apart. So, when it was time, we starting trying again. Our daughter was born four years later. In between these two births, we experienced two unsuccessful pregnancies, resulting in three miscarriages. We experienced the whole gamut of emotions. Trust, faith, strength, grief, anger, doubt, fear, control, loss, and more.
We didn’t feel the Lord lead us to foster or adopt and resolved that His plan might be for us to raise one child. That’s when our daughter was born.
Years can pass in the blink of an eye and they can simultaneously crawl by at a snail’s pace. As we watched our son grow into a personality-filled preschooler in a moment, we waited through minutes that felt like hours, days that felt like weeks, and months that felt like years. We felt lonely and lost, but we somehow held on to hope and, perhaps, hope is the thing that sustained us in the waiting.
So, when our daughter was born, we chose a middle name for her that would be a lifelong reminder that God is working even when we can’t see it. That doesn’t mean things will always turn out the way we want them to. It doesn’t mean waiting is any easier. It just means God is with us as we wait.
Four hundred years passed between the conclusion of the Old Testament story and the arrival of Jesus. Ten generations started and ended with no indication that the promised Messiah would come. 2,000 years have passed since Jesus ascended back into heaven and promised to return. Yet, we have hope.
You’re probably waiting for something. The minutes might feel like hours, days like weeks, and months like years. God understands the gamut of emotions you may be experiencing. Trust in Him. He’s with you.
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT | For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
My wife and I have to choose not to dwell on what we lost. We do miss the babies we never met. We grieve their death. We celebrate that they’re with Jesus and look forward to meeting them some day. We also recognize that, had they come, our daughter never would have been born. We would have missed the opportunity to fall in love with her, adore her big brown eyes, comb her long curly hair, watch her dance, hear her sing, snuggle during movies, cry with her, watch her serve, and teach her to love.
So, we stand in the tension of loss and gain as we thank God for what He did through the waiting.