Introduction: The Waiting Season
We’ve now touched on Fear and Faith – and now it’s time for us to wait and be patient.
I know that can seem daunting. When I think about waiting, all these thoughts start to fill my head:
How long do I have to wait?
What will happen during this time?
Will I be equipped when God finally places it in my life?
So many questions. And if we’re not careful, those questions take us right back to fear. Which means we have to circle back to faith – trusting God even when we can’t see what’s ahead.
That’s the cycle, isn’t it? Fear, faith, patience. Fear, faith, patience. Over and over.
But here’s what I’m learning: patience isn’t passive waiting. It’s active trust.
When Our Plans Don’t Match God’s Plans
Over the years, I’ve learned that the things I pray for don’t always happen – and now I understand that’s for a reason.
Our minds are so limited in what we can want for ourselves. We sometimes forget that what God wants for us is so much bigger and better than we could ever imagine.
I used to put God in a box. I’d pray for specific outcomes, specific timelines, specific people – and when things didn’t go my way, I thought God wasn’t listening. But the truth is, I wasn’t listening.
Some years ago, it seemed like life was upside down for me. Nothing was making sense anymore. Nothing was going like I planned, which was also affecting how I saw my long-term future.
It wasn’t until I stepped out of the way that so many things began to fall into place. And not just fall into place – they exceeded anything I could have imagined. I found myself in places I never expected, doing things I never thought I could do.
I had been limiting what God wanted for my life.
Learning to Get Out of God’s Way
Years later, this still happens. But the way I approach it is different now.
When things don’t go my way, yes, there’s still fear. But the process moves a little quicker when I learn to get out of God’s way quicker.
I immediately go to praying for peace. I try to focus on other things. And sometimes, it’s been those other things I throw myself into that have ended up putting me in new places I didn’t expect.
Joining organizations. Taking on roles I didn’t think I was ready for. Sitting at tables I never imagined.
Maybe God is taking you in a different direction – better than you could have imagined.
It’s not about having everything figured out. It’s about trusting the One who does.
Mary’s Example: Blessed Because She Believed
It’s timely that we’re reflecting on patience during the Christmas season – because patience is woven into the very story of Jesus’ birth.
When the angel told Mary she would carry the Son of God, she didn’t have all the answers. She didn’t know how it would all work out. She didn’t know what people would say or how hard it would be.
But here’s what she did:
“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
— Luke 1:45
Mary was blessed because she believed. She trusted God’s plan, even when it made no sense. Even when it was scary. Even when she had to wait.
That’s faith working patience.
Trusting the Story, Accepting the Situation
Patience isn’t always easy or perfect. Just as we discussed with faith, it doesn’t mean that things won’t come against us while we’re waiting.
But patience means trusting the story God is writing, even when we don’t understand the chapter we’re in.
It means accepting the situation – not with resignation, but with expectation. Because we don’t always know what God might be teaching us in that moment.
Jesus himself said:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
— John 16:33
Notice He didn’t say we won’t have trouble. He said in Him, we can have peace.
That’s the key. Peace doesn’t come from knowing the timeline. It comes from knowing the One who holds the timeline.
Praying for Peace While We Wait
So while we are in this season of working on patience, the best thing we can do is pray to God for peace during our circumstances.
Ask Him to not let our minds wander.
Ask Him to help us stay out of the mix and let Him work.
Ask Him to give us so much peace that we are still – truly still – and able to listen for His word.
This is how we stay ready for how He plans to move in our lives.
When it looks hard, remember: it’s a faith journey. The real question is: Can you truly trust God with your life?
Not just with the easy parts. Not just when you can see the next step. But with the waiting. With the unknown. With the silence.
Reflection Prompt
Take a few moments today to reflect:
What am I waiting for right now? What would it look like to fully trust God’s timing instead of trying to control the outcome?
Write it down. Pray over it. Then practice letting it go – trusting that God’s plan is bigger and better than anything you could orchestrate yourself.
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father,
I confess that patience is hard for me. I want to know the timeline. I want to see the plan. I want to be in control.
But today, I choose to trust You. I choose to believe that Your timing is perfect, even when mine feels overdue.
Give me peace while I wait. Keep my mind from wandering into fear and doubt. Help me stay out of the mix so You can work without my interference.
Strengthen my faith during this season of patience. Remind me that You are working behind the scenes – orchestrating things I can’t even imagine yet.
Teach me what You want me to learn in this waiting season. Prepare me for what You’re preparing for me.
Help me remember Mary’s example – blessed because she believed. Let me be a woman who believes Your promises, even when I can’t see how they’ll unfold.
I trust You, Lord. Not because I have it all figured out, but because You do.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
💕 The wait is not wasted. God is working – even when you can’t see it.
Series Conclusion
Fear, Faith, and Patience – three words that have defined my season. And maybe they’ve defined yours too.
Fear reminds us we’re human.
Faith reminds us we’re not alone.
Patience reminds us God’s timing is perfect.
Thank you for journeying through these reflections with me. May you find peace in the waiting, courage in the unknown, and hope in the One who holds it all.
Keep reflecting with me at wonderfullyher.com. 🌸