An inevitable part of life…waiting…I’ve been in and out of so many unknown and yearning periods, I’ve lost count, enough to realize the truth of what people say.

That you’re always waiting for something.

While annoying, I now find a bit of solace in the statement. One that helps me release comparison of my journey with another’s. Because that “other person” is also pursuing something not quite realized, however put together they may seem.

In my many seasons of “waiting,” I’ve picked up a few tricks to bide the time or find peace while staring at a foggy future. While I definitely don’t have all the answers, hopefully these musings may be of help to you, if you’re trudging through a bog of unanswered questions and halted dreams.

• Remember how far you’ve come to even reach this point of struggle. When I want to rip apart a piano piece that’s driving me crazy, I zoom back 20+ years. Little Natalie taking one LH finger and one RH finger and playing two keys, back and forth. Her first piece. I’ve come along way.
• Remember your past triumphs and answered prayers bringing you out of a waiting season. In the Bible, waiting for a promise is a common theme, and yes, they were just as frustrated or upset in these seasons as we are. Frequently, God encourages them and us to remember His past deliverance and renew trust in His plan.

“I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”
— Psalm 77:11

• This one gives me a sense of wonder in addition to hope. If you have unanswered prayers, you WILL see God work. Could be through a miracle, a changed circumstance, a new perspective, I don’t know, but God will move. In His time. He has promised to be our shepherd*, and He makes good on His promises.

So yes, do I hate waiting phases? Absolutely. Wish they didn’t exist. I do find gratitude in what I’ve learned through past ones, and comfort in remembering how they were answered or ended. So, as I prepare once again to embark on the next “wait,” I’m a little less frustrated, a little less hopeless, and a lot more peaceful. God is with me and will always be.

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*I’m aware Christian phrases can be confusing to someone new to the faith, and the phrase, “The Lord is my shepherd,” comes from Psalm 23, a very beloved Psalm. People find comfort from this idea because we are compared to sheep (helpless, often pathetically…), and God is compared to being a shepherd, someone who gives life and limb for his sheep. He watches over them, he guides them, he leads them to green pastures and still waters. Protects and cares for them. If you’re looking for a Bible chapter to memorize, Psalm 23 is a comforting one!

P.S. Here are some songs that help me through waiting!