A note from Kelly King: The season of Thanksgiving is upon us, yet the decorations of Christmas seem to come all too soon. I remember as a child that waiting for holidays seemed endless. As Kaye Hurta reminds us today, God’s process of waiting is part of His plan—even in the midst of pain. If you are in a season of waiting, remember the Lord has not forgotten you. He is present in the wait.
There is something sacred about a hospital waiting room. As I write, I am sitting in one in downtown Chicago while my husband has a back fusion surgery. I am sitting with people from all walks of life—some speaking in hushed tones, others eating, some working on their laptops (like me), and some sleeping. All of us have one thing in common. We are waiting.
Pain has a way of making us wait, doesn’t it? Whether we are waiting for a report, waiting for healing, waiting for hope, or even waiting to hear God or see God in it all, pain makes us wait.
As I thought about my own season of waiting, I glanced through the Bible and found the word “wait” appears 85 times (in the ESV). As I looked at those 85 occurrences, I learned something valuable. We are a people of waiting. Throughout Scripture, people wait to hear from God, they wait for rescue or deliverance, they wait for right timing or further instructions, and they wait for the Lord. I also learned that there is blessing in waiting and because He is our hope, there is reward in waiting. I read that in our waiting, our strength and courage are renewed. We are a people of waiting.
What are you waiting for today? Are you in a season of pain and waiting for relief, rescue, or restoration? Are you waiting on God for something? Are you waiting with someone who is walking a painful road?
Whatever is causing you to wait and whatever you are waiting for, there are things we can do in the waiting.
Here is how we can engage in the practice of waiting:
- Listen. Waiting involves listening. Listen for the whisper of the Holy Spirit—the voice of God as He speaks truth, hope, help, and healing into your pain. Having ears to hear means we need to first be still and quiet. Secondly, it means we are willing to hear what He has to say.
- Watch. Waiting involves watching. Watch for the fingerprints of God in your story. He can use anything or anyone. Try keeping a daily or weekly journal recording the ways God showed up in your day. Did someone bring a meal over? Did someone reach out with a word of encouragement? Did you hear that favorite song that draws you into His presence? Record all evidences of the fingerprints of God.
- Remain. Remain close to the Lord and to others. Learn how you best connect with God and practice it often. Wait with Him and for Him through the reading of His Word and through the fellowship of other believers. Listen and watch as the Lord uses them to speak to you.
Our pain has something to say to us. The Lord has every intention of redeeming our pain and the painful season we are in. May I encourage you to listen, watch, and remain? There is a sacredness in the waiting. I am praying that He will open your eyes to it today.
In case you’re wondering, my husband is doing fantastic. He is in a lot of pain, but it is only for a season. We appreciate your prayers as it is a long recovery process.
Kaye Hurta has a Masters Degree in counseling from Liberty University and is a crisis counselor for Women’s Events through LifeWay Christian Resources. Whether speaking, singing, or listening, Kaye’s passion is to help others find intimacy with Christ and soul transformation through the living pages of His Word. Kaye met and married her husband Chris in Austin, Texas in 1987. They have two daughters through the miracle of adoption, Madison and Cami. They live in the Chicago burbs where they are both on staff at Willow Creek Community Church. Kaye is also a contributing author for the LifeWay resource, Women Reaching Women in Crisis.
