Do I even need to ask if you’ve ever been stuck in a waiting room for what seemed like forever?
Just think, before cell phones and tablets, we were forced to thumb through tattered magazines about dental hygiene or Malaria!
Some seasons in life can feel like those waiting rooms. We feel confined, limited, and impatient as we wait for our name to be called. It’s as if we are in a “season between seasons.”
In what season are you finding yourself today?
Hopefully, you are right in the middle of the most beautiful time in your life. I truly wish that for you. Because, let’s face it, being stuck in a place of uncertainty is never fun. But, if you are in that drab waiting room, staring at the same picture on the wall and wishing you were anywhere else… take heart. There are things you can do when you find yourself between seasons.
1. Go back to what you know for sure.
Sometimes, the waiting room is the perfect place to go back to the basics. Ask yourself some tough questions such as:
What am I doing here?
How did I get here?
Why do I do what I do?
Is God calling me to something else?
How is my heart?
Then, recall what you know to be true. Biblically, what can you declare with absolute certainty? Doing this can strengthen your heart and give clarity for the season ahead. It may be as simple as reciting the foundational truths that established your faith in the first place.
Some of my favorite absolutes are:
> In the beginning was the Word.
> Through Him all things were made.
> We love because He first loved us.
> Jesus took his last breath and said, “It is finished.”
> On the third day He rose again.
> Jesus is coming back to receive His own.
By remembering who God is, what He has done and what He will do, our “season between seasons” can become less drudgery and more of a holy place of rest and replenishment.
2. Ask again.
The parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8, is a perfect example of not losing heart, not giving up, and continuing to pray through the waiting period.
When we ask things according to His will and not our own, wonderful opportunities may arise. And the best part is, we will KNOW that we are in the exact place He wants us to be.
Ask, ask, and ask again, with a heart of “not my will but Thine be done.” Sisters, we have a good Father who desires to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11)
3. View it as a “Practice Room.”
The “season between seasons” is an opportune time to pour into your God-given gifts. Pray, practice, and participate—all in the name of Jesus. Perhaps, He is preparing you for something far beyond what you could have imagined!
I remember in college, while living in the dorm, there were “practice rooms” in the basement filled with old pianos. Each week, I would reserve an hour to just play, sing and worship. Even though the rooms were tiny and cramped, once I began to play, any thoughts of confinement melted away.
Take time in the waiting room to worship and give thanks. It won’t be long before your name is called and you will leave that place. Too often, we view our “season between seasons” as a lull; a time to do nothing. But truly, it can be a wonderful place to refocus, seek wisdom, and fine- tune our gifts.
Be encouraged today, no matter what season you are in. The Lord knows. And He will call your name eventually. Until then, be of good cheer, for He has overcome!
“These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NKJV)
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