What Is Worth Waiting For?

Waiting is defined as “the activity of remaining in one’s current location or delaying action until a specific time or event occurs”. In today’s world, waiting appears to be of little value but beauty can be found in waiting when we allow it to change and heal us and bring us closer to God.
Life as a Single Parent
As a single parent, it sometimes seems as if all we do is wait. We are awaiting child support payments. We’re waiting for the lawyers to get back to us. We’re waiting for the pain to let go of its suffocating grip on us. We’re lonely and we long to be normal again. Whether we like it or not, often life feels like a waiting game that we just want to get past. We’ve all heard the saying, “Good things come to those who wait” but even if we believe that, waiting is still difficult. Most of us are desperate for something to change so we can stop feeling so broken.
One of the difficulties of being a single parent is having solid work that provides financial security for the family. Single mom, Marissa had no idea how she was going to climb that mountain after her husband died and was no longer there to support her and her two children. And, she was facing that uncertainty while dealing with grief, her own and that of her children. It was a painful season of waiting for needed healing. She was hurting and didn’t want to show her children her fragility when recalling places, she and her spouse used to visit. It was a difficult time.
Marissa begged God to redeem her pain and loss and she just assumed that God would show up. Despite this, Marissa was forced to wait. The grief didn’t just go away nor did the pain. She found herself having to experience it one day at a time. There was no fast forward button to get through the grief - for her or for her kids
The Value of Waiting
While she wished the pain would just go away, Marissa discovered that God drew near in her broken heartedness. She realizes now that trying to just get through that season would have meant missing out on the closeness she found to God while she was waiting. Our desire to escape and rush through things can lead to denial, avoidance, and dysfunction. Rushing ahead doesn’t bring the healing we need. Avoidance and denial just lead us to go from band-aid to band-aid.
Single parents often find themselves facing uncertainty while dealing with grief, our own and that of our children. Most of us have experienced a season of waiting and needed healing. We may be hurting but don’t want to show our children our fragility during difficult times.
When we feel this way, we may find ourselves begging God to redeem our pain and loss. We may hope for immediate rescue but instead find out we are forced to wait. The grief doesn’t just go away nor does the pain. Instead, we have no choice but to experience it one day at a time with no fast forward button to get through the grief - for us or for our kids.

While we wish the pain would just go away, one of the gifts we can discover in the wait is that God draws near in our broken heartedness. We may want a way out of the pain but instead God is calling us to receive comfort and guidance from Him in the process. If we avoid the wait and try to rush ahead, numb out, or escape, we will miss out on the opportunity to get closer to Him than ever before. Waiting can be so hard, especially when we are hurting, but avoidance and denial can lead us into dysfunction. Rushing ahead doesn’t bring the healing we need. It just leads us from band-aid to band-aid.
But rather than wait, many of us do just that…avoid and deny our pain. We numb out through distractions, addictions, and ignoring vital parts of the healing process. If that’s you, you’re not alone. The art of waiting appears to have fallen out of favor in today’s world. Instead, we demand instant relief and satisfaction. If you have found yourself in that place of urgent avoidance, it can help to breathe, accept the way you are feeling, and remind yourself you can express your hurts, disappointments, and grievances to God and to others. You don’t have to walk through the pain alone.

Accepting Change
Kirsten Strong wrote a passage about change saying that every shift in our lives brings losses. It’s appropriate to mourn these losses by recognizing and naming them and giving them a seat at the table. When change and loss knock on our door, pain is the result. Healing can come when we enter into the change and loss rather than avoid it. Naming the losses we experience is a key part of leaning into the healing process of lament. Lament allows us to acknowledge and accept our feelings authentically. Lament allows us to express the pain of change and loss while simultaneously acknowledging God’s kindness and presence with you while you experience them.
Whatever the magnitude of the changes and losses in your life, Jesus takes them personally – because He cares deeply for you. He is not a far off God who observes from a distance. He is a loving Father, Savior, and Friend who meets us where we are with love and compassion. Psalm 34 reminds us, “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” When loss comes and we find ourselves having to wait for healing, and for the feelings of pain and grief to dissipate, knowing God is with us can help us embrace the process.
Knowing God is near can help us accept the reality of our grief and loss. You may feel like you’ve reached the end of everything you once knew and counted on, but God has not left. He will see you through all of it, one step at a time, one day at a time. One day, you’ll be able to look around and realize you’ve made it through, and that God was with you all along. You will feel a sense of hope and be able to see that life is full of abundance once again. Waiting for healing to come is something we all experience. It isn’t easy but it's not the end, or the final word. God’s goodness and grace are, and He draws near us in the wait. His presence is worth waiting for during times of loss and change.
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