Rain came, Wind blew, my house is built on You. I’m safe with You, I’m going to make it through. I am standing strong on You. These are the lyrics of a song, I have been listening to on repeat called Firm foundation. Have you ever waited for something you couldn’t control the outcome of? Like you couldn’t just go out and get it? Like other people were involved? If you have, congratulations you are a human.
Waiting is one of those things that quite frankly in today’s society we suck at doing. We don’t like to wait for anything. We see people online “doing” and we feel pressured to go out there and “do” but what if waiting has a purpose? Maybe instead of "doing it", you are supposed to be preparing? I don’t mean preparing your heart in an overly spiritual way but just at the most basic level, planning and preparing to step into it. I have been on the journey of studying the waiting period and I have learned so much about it; as usual, I wanted to share.
1. EVERYBODY waits - Like E-VERRY-ONE. We all have to wait for something at some point in our lives. Waiting for a job, waiting for a spouse, waiting for a baby, in these Toronto streets waiting for a house, waiting for a “big break”, waiting for a fulfilling career, waiting for health. If you can name it, we all have to wait for these BIG LIFE MOMENTS. So if you feel you're the only one waiting because everyone on social media has what they need, it's simply not true. Some of us are brave enough to be vocal about our wait and a lot of us wait in silence.
2. MOST of us suck at waiting - first of all, our culture is all about microwave processes, instant-gram, snap-chat, uber-eats, skip-the-dishes, get rich quick, lose weight fast, it’s all about instant gratification. If we want something, we can get it in minutes or hours if the price is right, and sometimes even if the price is wrong. We are a generation of people who don’t really like waiting and really don’t know how to wait well…myself included. Unfortunately, so much of growing up is just waiting for things to happen. To be fair, we aren't the only generation that doesn’t know how to wait; soooo many bible characters waited poorly. I mean Sarah was like “nah Abraham, just sleep with Hagai right quick, we’ll have a child, and like it’s all good from then?!” #LowkeyMessy
3. There is a RIGHT way to wait and a WRONG way to wait - I always thought that it didn’t really matter. Last last, I’ll get what I need so what’s the difference if I just whine and complain the whole time? Or maybe if I just “convince” myself that I don’t want it then maybe I wouldn’t have to wait (hahaha, that one hits differently). Apparently, you can’t just trick your mind and heart out of the desires you have. Finally, we have the worst one, people don’t wait at all. They go out there and “make sh*t happen” and unfortunately sometimes they make the wrong choices, blow up their life, and have to pick up the pieces. I get it! The temptation to make things happen is sooo real; I’m a Nigerian woman it's ingrained in me to be resilient and a go-getter. In the last couple of weeks, I have spoken to so many people who regret rushing into things rather than just waiting to even discover what they wanted. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, wrote the book on it (replace the book with the blog, cause I’m a millennial lol). So if these are all the wrong ways to wait, what are the right ways?
4. Waiting has a purpose - there is a reason we wait; how many times have you reflected and realized that if you got what you wanted when you wanted it, you might have ruined it? I mean there is a WHOOOLE GENRE of movies dedicated to child actors' “crash and burn” phase. There is a reason why if you give 17-year-olds millions of dollars and millions of “fans” screaming their name in adoration, it messes them up. There is a level of maturity that we all need to step into what we are asking for. If you got your dream job right out of school, you would “outgrow” it, because that’s the nature of careers. If a caterpillar comes out of its cocoon too early, it might not make it. If you took the chicken out too soon, you may get salmonella hahah, ok you get the point. There is a REASON for times and seasons and waiting periods, it's so that we are ready Periodt. I remember the first time I read this verse James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters when you face trials of many kinds because the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. I remember being so shocked. At the time I was waiting for a new job, I was about 6 or 7 months into what turned out to be a 1 year wait for a new job. I was like “God you don’t understand, all my friends are making XYZ amount of money, all of them are progressing, everyone has quit this non-profit life, and I NEED to go”, I was really kicking and screaming….the minute I surrendered to God, I got my job.
5. The last thing I have learned is that it’s awkward in the wait - You are in transition, you are not quite where you were but you’re also not where you want to be or should be. You want to wait but you also want to balance that with effort. Don’t even get me started on the verse that says “Faith without works is dead”. What does that EVEN mean? Like how much is waiting for a new job and me applying? How do I “partner with God” and then what about “manifesting” and “vision boarding” liiiiiike what the hell do we “DO” when we wait? I think where I’m at is understanding that I don’t have all the variables, I can’t plan for things I don’t know about. I know I have to wait so I’m just trying to find joy in the waiting. Going on with my life, exploring things, spending time with God, chilling with my friends, taking on hobbies, just living! It’s NOT easy but I think that’s what we do when we wait…..BUT who knows really?
Anyways, this is what I’ve learned so far about waiting;
As I wait for a lot this year, I hope to come back to this post to remind myself of these lessons. Coming back and re-reading is LOWKEY one of the main reasons I write this blog.
If you resonate, please hit me up; if you’re learning other things please share. So far all I know is I have to trust God in this waiting season.
Till next time;
Your neighborhood sharer of things in her head (lol)
Ibiyemi