I recently found a Christian playlist on Spotify and hit "shuffle" listening as background music while I studied.
However, one song profoundly stuck out to me because of the lyrics. The song repeated over and over "He's in the waiting". I put studying on pause, looked up the lyrics and started to think about this and what it meant, it hit me hard.
Patience is something I struggle with, in fact it is one of my goal words for the year. I am a type A person who likes to have a plan for everything and when it comes to waiting, well that just isn't part of my plan because I want things to happen how I want them to happen, when I want them to happen. Waiting is uncomfortable and unpredictable. Not only that, but waiting can feel lonely. It feels like I'm just struggling out in the open, and leaves me to question, "God where are you?" However, as this song suggests, God is in fact there, in the waiting.
The incredible thing about God is that He's always there, believe it or not. Sometimes He allows us to struggle on our own and feel as though we are drowning for a bit, with the intention of growth and increased trust in Him. I came to find out the song I was listening to was "Take Courage" by Bethel Music. The lyrics of the song are,
Take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He's never failing
He's never failing
Man, what convicting and powerful lyrics these are. Such a beautiful reminder this is that even when we feel as though we have been abandoned by God and forgotten about, He is right there, grace, salvation, hope and all, stretching us beyond our comfort zone and teaching us what it means to wait and find courage in the waiting.
It is by no means easy to trust in God in the waiting but I think that's the point. It is when we are uncomfortable, unsure and completely vulnerable that we grow and learn the most. I especially love the end of this verse, the reminder that He's never failing. It may feel that He is deserting you and leaving you to struggle alone but we should be reminded that in reality, He never has and never will fail us.
Maybe you're waiting for an acceptance letter to a college or special program you have worked hard to be a part of. Maybe you're awaiting a job offer, a person to spend the rest of your life with, an answer to a desperate prayer. Maybe you are almost to the point of giving up, frustrated with God and wondering where He could possibly be. Let this serve as a reminder that it really is in the waiting that we find God's unwavering, unconditional and sustaining love. He has an intricate and detailed plan for you and the remainder of your life so you are waiting for a reason, and no matter the outcome, find in courage in the fact that we are sustained by a never failing Father.
