The view was like nothing else and the whisper found in the wind: just sit. And do nothing.
I thought it was just for that moment but as it turns out this is the word for this season. I’m wired well in the Do dept. the Nothing crew have been wrestling me down as my heart tries again and again to further pursue the call, the dreaming, the next step.
My life has been a series of waiting moments, and true to myself, I’m always wanting to be in the next one: The grass-is-greener-I-cannot-wait-to-see-where-this-goes kind of vibing.
Every season in my life though has this weird luminal space called transition… it’s one of life’s consistencies… the constant transition of waiting. And in there is the golden moments where God does some of His most character forming, beautiful best work in our hearts to grow us more dependent on Him and become more like Jesus.
There are two types of waiting: Active awaiting and Passive waiting.
Both types of waiting have their own elements of excruciatingly annoying, sometimes painful, growth points when presented with their presence… But that’s the point right? Waiting, I’m guessing, wasn’t designed for us to cruise through it. Waiting was designed for us to lean in and learn in. As we grow, we are presented with pockets of waiting; these little invitations waiting for us to relish in the opportunity. But growing is hard, it’s twofold. In the waiting comes the space for us to increase and prepare for more and also deal with what is occupying unnecessary space in our hearts.
So back to these two types of waiting…
Active waiting is where you may know the outcome and have space to still get ready in preparation. Its fluid, there’s things to do, there’s laying groundwork. There’s a sense of traction and movement until the “go now” arrives.
And Passive waiting, well that’s the sit and do nothing kind of wait. Literally. It’s doing nothing until the time comes with the next step. That’s the stretching and fidgeting and wrestling kind of wait until you find stillness completely. I find this the hardest.
It happened when I dated my husband, it happened again as I tried to find the right job to fit the call, it happened while we were trying for our first born son, it happened as we counted down to a break. So in all my awesome strength, I thought I’d help God along the way as I actively waited trying opportunity after opportunity, knocking on closed door after closed door… and naturally finding myself frustrated. The need to take back control is what is hardest in the waiting. This is the apex of the wait. It’s the trusting God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind part. Waiting brings out our true colours. The moments of revelation after revelation, and yet somehow I still don’t feel like I am getting it right! Where we truly surrender our will, to His there is an alignment that brings shift. This shift only comes in laying it all down… completely.
It’s in this cavern of unknown and transition we ought to be tuning in deeper, listening and being obedient to continually lay down our Doing. Embrace this season. See it as an invitation to come closer to God. Be present to what He is doing in this chapter. Perhaps this is your opportunity to get things in order. This is your invitation to ask God “what do I do today?” and “How can I do it well?” as you wait for the promise. Or maybe this is a be patient in your obedience and Sit. Do nothing kind of season. So set up camp and wait here a little while. Following the prompting to move deeper into the heart of worship and praise Him anyway; lift your eyes and see the world (and this season) through kingdom eyes. His eyes. His heart.
There is work in the waiting. So sit sweet one and allow Him to fashion you for your future. The Bible is filled with “Go now” moments and it always seems to follow a season of preparation or desert land. In your wilderness of waiting find your rest in Him. Stay on course, eyes on Him, feet upon His Word lit path. This stretching season is the one that forges and forms your heart to the place of surrender. There is beauty here, find it. Treasure it. He is present in your ordinary; in the mundane; in the not yet’s. He’s got you in your luminal space. It’s where He does His best work… so let Him.
And when He calls you, be ready and courageously step out. Step out onto the waters; step into your promised land; Begin the revitalised steps around the next lap until the walls crumble in His presence. Step forward until the fallow ground births new growth. He’s got you, so dwell in His presence, be filled with His peace as you patiently wait out what your next step is.
until next time… xox