Waiting has a negative connotation—but hope a positive one.
We wait for the birth of babies. Ask any expectant mother. The ninth month is the longest.
Children anticipate the next holiday. Oh, that as adults, we could keep that sense of wonder.
Teenagers sullenly ride with their parents waiting for the day when they can get a permit and then a license to drive. Their parents pace the floor, walking out their prayers and wearing out their knees, praying for the sound of their adolescent arriving home at last.
We wait in line at the grocery store, watching other lines move faster. Our ninety-three-year-old aunt makes a game of changing lanes often. I would rather wait.
My husband stands around patiently while I talk to people everywhere we go. My mini reunions with students, their parents, and old friends excite me—but him, not so much.
We wait for test results. Covid results make us wait to see loved ones. Lab results make us hit our knees. Exam results make us rethink the way we study.
In all the waiting and hoping, children grow up and adults grow old. The days go slow, but the years pass quickly. We may grow weary in the waiting, but God’s timing is perfect even if it is not what we imagined. We wait for the Lord to answer our prayers, and sometimes we find ourselves waiting. And waiting.
My hope is in the Lord who will renew my strength. On the days when I am in the depths of despair, my hope is in the Lord.
When we are not well and our strength is drained, only the Lord can renew it. That strengthens our hope in Him and Him alone. Our strength is renewed when we dedicate our problems and failures to the one and only perfect God.
I have seen prayers answered after the person praying has gone to be with the Lord. We may be waiting for Covid to be over. Our hope is not in our efforts but in trusting God’s timing.
Ask God to help you be patient as you wait and hope. His timing is perfect.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Theresa Parker Pierce lives in historic Salisbury, North Carolina, where she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She has thirty-five years of experience in teaching reading and history. Theresa has a master’s degree in education and is National Board certified. As a two-time Rowan Salisbury Teacher of the Year, Theresa enjoys storytelling about her childhood in eastern North Carolina and giving tours in Rowan County. Her manuscript, Up Dunn's Mountain, won first place for Young Adult Literature at Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. She is a member of Word Weavers International. A historic docent, Theresa shares her volunteer time between the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer and the Rowan Museum in Salisbury. With a closet full of costumes, Theresa dresses in period attire and is a toastmaster who speaks to historic groups, senior citizens, and her favorite children.