What to Do While You Are Waiting on God
I have to admit I’m not a patient person. When I want something, I want it right now. And, with the rise of the Internet and websites such as Amazon, I’m usually able to get what I want very quickly.
There are times, though, that logging on to Amazon won’t help me get what I want, no matter how many items are at my disposal.
Being ill, trying to get my children to learn a new habit, waiting in line at the grocery store, and rush hour traffic are examples of times where I need to be patient. Often being patient involves waiting on someone else and does not allow for me to do anything while I’m waiting.
Other times I find myself waiting are those that involve God’s perfect timing. He uses situations to help me trust in Him and not rely on my own strength, abilities, or resources. I am in one of these waiting periods now.
You probably know I’m in process of training for the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon that is scheduled to happen in just 11 short days. Well, this past weekend, I decided to participate in a 15k (9.3 miles) to help me in my training.
The good news is I finished at a pretty consistent pace that I was very pleased with. The bad news is my heels are killing me, even 3 days after the race. That’s not good when I’ve got to go 13.1 miles 11 days from now!
If I had to do the race today, I know I’d not be able to do it fast enough to complete it in the time allowed. This scares me because my husband and I have invested a lot of money into going to Disney and participating in the race.
I’m really trying not to panic. I know God’s timing is perfect and that He can teach me something through this painful time. I’m not worried about not being able to train. I’m more concerned about being able to even walk this race at the pace it takes to finish it successfully.
I have done all I know to do to ease the pain. I’m at the end of my resources. I’m now waiting on God to heal me.
I am struggling with this especially because I have put in so much time and work to get stronger and faster over the last couple of months. I don’t understand why this has happened at this point in my training.
So what am I going to do while I’m waiting on God?
1. I’m not going to panic. As I mentioned above, I am not too concerned that I can’t train right now. I must keep doing what I know to do to take care of myself and rely on God for the healing.
2. I’m going to take advantage of this down time of not training to do things I’ve put off for a while. Because I need to stay off my feet and let them rest, I will spend more time on the computer writing and doing other blog activities that I have neglected over the last few weeks.
3. I’m going to be still. When I think about my week and the time training takes from each day, I usually get overwhelmed and am not sure how to fit it in with what all needs to be done. One thing I feel strongly that I’ve heard from God is that I need to be still and focus on Him. Too often I’m so busy that my morning quiet time is often forgotten by the time I tackle my first task on my to-do list. I’m going to spend this time to go deeper with Him and see what He wants me to learn.
One of my favorite verses is from Psalm 46:10. It says:
Be still, and know that I am God.
It’s such a great reminder to take things easy and know that God is in control.
Do I think God is going to heal me in time? I don’t know. I know He can, but I don’t know if He’ll choose to. This race is a big bucket list item for me. It’s what has motivated me to make small changes to improve my health. I am praying every day that I’ll be able to follow through.
Are you in a situation where you are waiting on God? I suggest you try the three things I’m doing while I’m waiting.
While I don’t know how all of this is going to turn out or what you specific situation is, I know that God can use it for His glory. I am praying that He will let me start and finish this race successfully so I can give Him the glory. It would definitely be all Him and nothing of me if this happens.
While you are waiting, feel free to print your own copy of Psalm 46:10 to remind yourself to be still.
