Moments for Mom with ELISABETH CORCORAN

When you just have to wait ...

Waiting. We wait in line. We wait on hold. We wait in the doctor’s office. We wait for photos to come back from our holidays (if we haven't already stored or printed them digitally ourselves). We wait for our kids to get out of school. (Some of us wait for our kids to go to school …)
 
Waiting is a way of life. It’s part of the cycle. We are a culture of instant gratification, but in reality, we wait a good deal of the time. Wait for the next season of life to come. Wait for our kids to get out of ‘that phase’. 
 
We even wait on God. To do a good work. To come through for us. To answer a prayer. To provide a miracle. To simply show up. To give us any indication that he’s still in control and still for us. In fact, Psalm 40:1 (The Message) says: “I waited and waited and waited on God.” 
 
I have a friend waiting on her house selling. Another waiting to see what the doctor will say. Another waiting to see if her wallet turns up. Another waiting to see if her daughter will be all right. Another waiting to see if her son will be all right. Another waiting for her wedding to happen and her marriage to start. Sometimes we wait for good things to unfold … sometimes we have to wait for not-so-good things. 
 
I’m in a waiting period of my life right now. In one particular really big area, I am simply waiting it out to see what’s going to happen. I have absolutely no control over this big thing and it has been really scary for me, really difficult, really challenging, really quiet. It’s been too quiet. I know God is in control. But I’m not seeing a whole lot of movement on his part. That has probably been the hardest part. I’ve been having to stretch my ‘leaning on his intangibility’ muscle. It’s a good thing ... I know I am growing and stretching. I know my faith has deepened. My marriage is stronger. But, still, I just wait.
 
If you find yourself waiting on God, simply remind yourself of the truths that you know. God is in control. God is working even when you don’t think he is. And God is so much bigger than whatever your current situation is. You’ll get through it. Maybe not unscathed. But you will be carried through. Just wait …

• Elisabeth K Corcoran is the author of In Search of Calm: Renewal for a Mother's Heart (2005) and Calm in My Chaos: Encouragement for a Mom's Weary Soul. She is wife to Kevin, and mum to Sara, 8, and Jack, 7. Her passion is encouraging women and she fulfils that through heading up the Women's Ministries on staff at Blackberry Creek Community Church in Aurora, Illinois, and writing and speaking as much as she can. Both books are available at www.amazon.com and you can visit her website at www.elisabethcorcoran.com

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.