“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)

There I was, in yet another waiting room, while we waited to see yet another doctor. Our teen daughter had been passing out nearly every day, and no one could figure out why.

After many months, it had seemed like our time in the waiting room was ending. Doctors had determined her fainting spells were caused by a neurological disorder. The diagnosis was an answer to prayer, and we were grateful to God.

Unfortunately, the fainting continued. And because of that, our waiting didn’t end.

Instead, we entered a new kind of waiting room. We waited for God to bring full healing. We waited for God to stop the spiral of depression our daughter had fallen into. We were stuck in a waiting room that seemed to have no exit.

That long season of waiting was painful and isolating, but it seems these seasons are simply a part of life.

Think for a moment of the hours upon hours we spend waiting each week. Sometimes, it’s for the little things: waiting on the traffic light to turn green, the next episode to air, the coffee to brew, the airport security line to move faster.

Sometimes, the waiting is unbearable and bewildering, like when you’re waiting for God to heal someone you love.

I'm guessing you are waiting on something too: a cure for the cancer, a job application to be reviewed, that uncomfortable silence to end, the words “I forgive you” to finally come.

If you’re like me, you want to push through the hard times, but instead, you find yourself paralyzed in a waiting room miles from where you want to be.

Waiting can feel like a weakness, especially in a culture that places a high value on making things happen.

But waiting is not a weakness.

It’s actually empowering. Yes, empowering! There is something miraculous happening while we wait.

Here’s how I know:

“Wait on the LORD … He shall strengthen your heart” (Psalm 27:14).

God is strengthening our hearts while we wait!

When I came across that verse, it gave me the courage to wait on God.

Now, after three long years, we are seeing the fruit that grew in the waiting room.

We are still waiting on a lot of things, but we have much to be grateful for. Our daughter’s fainting spells have been reduced to a minimum. She is being treated for depression. And here’s my favorite part: She is sharing her story publicly with teens and their parents because she wants them to know God is good all the time.

Hers is a beauty-from-ashes story that couldn’t have been written anywhere else but the waiting room.

When I look back, I see how God strengthened our hearts. Waiting was not an in-between place. Real work was being done as my family grew closer to one another and to God.

I don’t know what you’re waiting for, but I’m guessing you’re waiting for something.

May you be encouraged in knowing that waiting is not a waste of time. It’s an investment of time. God is strengthening your heart.

May you find that God is always, always worth the wait.

God, help us to see the ways waiting makes us stronger. Give us courage to let You do the work You alone can do. Help us to have patience while we wait on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Pick up a copy of Jennifer Dukes Lee’s latest book — Growing Slow — and gain the courage to stay strong in the waiting.

ENGAGE

Jennifer loves to encourage women in all seasons of life — the waiting seasons and the growing seasons. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Isaiah 40:31, “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (ESV)

Where in your life do you need to know the Lord is renewing your strength, even as you wait? Share with us in the comments.

© 2022 by Jennifer Dukes Lee. All rights reserved.