No matter what stage of life we are in, we are often in stages of waiting.
And no, I am not speaking of the typical "waiting stage" that many people have in mind - mainly, waiting on your future spouse - and quite frankly, it irritates me that so many people think this is the biggest thing that individuals (especially those of us in college) are waiting for.
I'm talking about the moments of waiting for things that are actually important in our own lives and that are relevant to the here and now - waiting for that grade, the acceptance letter, the job offer, or even a response to an email. We are all constantly waiting for something.
How are we spending our moments of waiting?
Most of us will openly answer "in a state of stress and anxiety," to which I can relate - the worrying nature that exists in each and every one of us raises its head high in moments where uncertainty exists. Given that we are waiting for something, it's usually the outcome or result that we are waiting for that brings about worry, given that it is unknown to us. As humans who desire to be in control, unknowns out of our control are not easy to overlook.
However, being anxious during our times of waiting does not speed up the process, nor does it alleviate what's to come. In fact, it probably only makes it worse - it won't affect the outcome, but it will affect our mindset, which can further affect many other things, such as our mood, our thoughts, and even our physical body (if we worry enough).
So how should we spend our times of waiting?
By being productive in areas that we can control.
By focusing on the positive things.
In prayer.
In hoping for the best outcome but being prepared for whatever may come our way.
There's really not much we can do whilst waiting other than monitoring our mindset - we can't speed up the process, and our worrisome habits won't make the outcome any better.
So while standing by, take heart - your moments of uncertainties will soon come to an end, and whatever is meant to be at the end will be. It's easier said than done, but seek to calm your mind, focus on the here and now, and allow God and time to work.
It's a process that won't happen overnight, nor will we ever be free from worry when waiting, but progress and small steps can make a big difference.
