He is PRESENT while we wait. {Anonymous}

A friend of ours shares their story.

Three years and five miscarriages into our marriage, I had to have an emergency surgery to save my life. This surgery left us unable to have children of our own.

This was a difficult time for us. People would make well-meaning comments about God having a plan or encouraging us to begin the Foster Care process so that we could have a family. While they meant well, it was difficult because we felt God telling us to wait, and others didn't seem to understand. Fast forward to when we were eagerly awaiting our daughter's arrival and the comments shifted to "What will you do if she (the birth mom) changes her mind?" "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" ​

I will never forget Mother's Day of 2016 when the church we were attending honored all the mothers and mothers-to-be. However, the church leaders who were in charge of the event took me aside and shared their concerns: "Since your baby isn't born yet and your adoption hasn't started, we think it might be better if you were to wait until next year to stand up." 

This comment hurt worse than all the others up to that point. I understood where they were coming from and that they were trying to protect me from public embarrassment in the event that things didn't work out, but I felt that they had little to no faith in what God was doing on our behalf. The hardest part was when others in the church asked why I didn't stand up, and I couldn't explain because I refused to speak ill of the church leaders.

We felt very close to God during this time of waiting. We leaned into each other. We felt peace about the situation, and that He had a family for us. God also encouraged a couple that we had not previously been close with to reach out to us. What we learned is that they had been through a similar experience and had adopted their own child. 

This couple walked beside us in prayer and support. In September 2015, we felt a very real desire to begin praying for the woman who would give us her child. For her health (both physical and mental), for the situation surrounding the conception of our baby, and for her family. What we didn't know was that during this season of prayer God was already forming our baby girl and that we would be learning about her within a few months.

Through all of this, we learned that God is faithful to keep His promises. We learned that  His timing is perfect and that sometimes He asks us to wait while He is preparing us to be ready for what He is doing next for us.

During our storm, we never expected God to move in the way that He did. We knew He had a plan but couldn't see how it was going to turn out. On January 4th, 2016, while driving home from work, we received a text message from an unknown number asking, "Are you still looking to adopt". This message forever changed our lives. 

Through God's wonderful grace, we were able to hear our baby's heartbeat and see her beautiful body on an ultrasound. We were there for all of them. Five short months later we were able to be in the delivery room when our baby girl was born. She has never known anyone else as Daddy and Mommy. On January 3rd, 2017, she officially became ours forever. 

On October 11th, 2021, we got to sit beside her as she accepted Jesus as her personal Savior. On June 12th, 2022, we were there when she was baptized. These are special dates for our family and stand as a reminder to us of the grace God bestowed upon us when He brought peace out of the Chaos.

He is PRESENT while we wait.

Have you ever found yourself in a season of waiting? Waiting for a breakthrough, waiting for a change, or waiting for an answer from God? Waiting can be challenging and can often test our patience and faith. But in the midst of our waiting, we can know that God is present and actively working on what He has next for us.

In the Bible, we find numerous examples of individuals who had to wait on God's perfect timing. Joseph waited for years as a slave and a prisoner before he saw the fulfillment of God's plan for his life. Abraham and Sarah waited for the promised child, Isaac, despite their old age. David waited for many years from the time he was anointed as king until he actually ascended to the throne. In each of these stories, we see that God was present in the waiting, and His timing was impeccable.

In Psalm 27:14, the psalmist declares, "Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" This verse reminds us that waiting on God requires strength and courage. It's not always easy to wait patiently when our desires and expectations are yet to be fulfilled. However, as we wait, we can trust that God is working behind the scenes, aligning circumstances, and preparing us for what lies ahead.

Trusting God in the waiting requires surrendering our own timelines and plans to Him. It means acknowledging that His ways are higher and His thoughts are greater than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9). It means choosing to believe that His promises are true and His faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 100:5).

While we wait, we can find peace and hope in knowing that God is not idle. He is actively orchestrating every detail of our lives to bring about His perfect will. Though the wait may seem long and uncertain, let us remember that God is never late, but always on time.

Today, if you find yourself in a season of waiting, take comfort in the fact that God is with you. He sees your heart, hears your prayers, and is actively working on what He has next for you. 

Embrace the journey, cultivate patience, and trust in the faithfulness of our loving Heavenly Father. As you wait, may your faith be strengthened, and may you experience the joy of His perfect timing.