Waiting & Idle // My thoughts

Not becoming stagnant in life's waiting seasons. Finding Contentment.

Sometimes life becomes slow. We go though the motions and become so accustomed to mundane routines. We see others (accomplishing so much). We see friends go off to college. Siblings get married. Family members go on amazing vacations. Someone we know has a business take off. Another gets promoted. You name it.

We feel like everyone around us is in the fast lane and somehow, we are the only ones stuck behind a tractor on a oneway, dirt road.

We pray for God to lead us in His right path for us, but in the same breath, we tell Him how we think He should answer our prayer. As if we know best. 

NEWS FLASH: God knows best & His timing is best. 

God sees the big picture here, He knows what you and I need. And He does answer our prayers... only maybe not in the way WE think He should. But that doesn't mean He has abandoned us or has forgotten about our dreams.

So let's talk about being in a "season of waiting." I have a very strong conviction surrounding this phrase. A conviction that was SO HARD TO LEARN. This subject isn’t a easy one. 

When I think of waiting, I think of coming to a standstill while waiting for someone or something else to make a move. In waiting, there's time to catch your breath, to become comfortable with the standstill.

In my mind, God doesn't ask us to be idle. He may ask us to wait for His timing, but He never asks us to stop growing in the season we are in. His will doesn't involve becoming stagnant. 

He doesn't ask us to wait for the right guy to come sweeping in before our life can become content. He doesn't ask us to twiddle our thumbs while He lines up the perfect job. He doesn't ask us to become stuck in a rut while He miraculously makes our dreams come true. (Though, because God is amazing, He absolutely could do these things, but oftentimes it usually doesn’t work that way. Usually there are lessons to be learned in those seasons that could not have been learned if our dreams came handed to us on a silver platter out of thin air....) 

No.He doesn’t ask us to wait for the silver platter. He asks us to live life now. To be content now. Find purpose now. To trust Him in the here and now. 

Because, if we TRUST NOW, we don't need to worry about when God will bring people into our lives. If it is in His will, He'll make a way. He already knows the desires of our hearts. And if we sit back and wait, think of all the things we will miss out on in our lives. There are different callings for different seasons. 

Maybe you're life isn't going how you had planned, maybe you are stuck in a job you hate and all the burdens have weighed you down to the point where dragging yourself out of bed in the morning is a chore. Instead of filling yourself with bitterness towards all the people in your life who you compare yourself to, maybe it's time to get some perspective. 

If you are struggling with wearing so many hats and life is too complicated, maybe it’s time to get some perspective. 

If you are unsure of your future and feel like you need to have it more together, like that burden of “figuring it all out” sits solely on your shoulders, maybe it’s time to get some perspective.

Fact: you don't know the big picture. 

What if you are in this season for a specific purpose? Maybe there is someone you can reach despite your lousy job that you wouldn't normally be in contact with? Maybe you are in this seasons to learn a lesson on comparison? Maybe you are in this season of crazy busy schedules to learn that real, heavenly peace does not come from the world but from God? Maybe you are in this season of uncertainty to practice trust in Someone bigger?

 If God has lead you and if you are relying on His guidance, there IS A PURPOSE right where you are at!

Back to the fast lane analogy. While driving on that dirt road behind a tractor, maybe your purpose is to look around at all the beauty of the countryside. To really be grateful for the road you are on. Maybe your purpose is to have that deep conversation with that person next to you without the interruption of life zipping by. (Cultivating meaningful relationships with people in your life). Maybe your purpose in this season is to serve others and think less about your own ambitions? Maybe your purpose is simply to cling to Jesus in a time when you just feel really weak. 

Instead of waiting, how can we be proactive and act upon our faith?

We have to be continually praying. By praying for God's will and for our hearts to become opened to God's direction, we are able to trust God's bigger picture. We ought to trust that God will grow us in this seasons so that we can be better equipped for the seasons to come. And last, but surely not least, we have to learn to be CONTENT. 

It's so hard to be content when life right now isn't our own "ideal." But God's ideal is so much better. (When we align these two, think of how full our lives can be! Overflowing!)

Instead of always trying to have life "gettin' good" we should be realizing that life's "already good." Look at your season. (Don't look at other people's seasons.) How are ways you can enjoy where you are at? How are ways you can grow? Don't stop, look for ways to grow your character. Look for opened doors. Let God search your heart. Don't put off things for "someday." Live life NOW. 

Can you relate to anything in this post? What is something in your seasons now that you are grateful for? Comment below! 

Many Blessings,

Brooklyne Elysse

P.S. 

Go HERE to read a post from exactly a year ago!