You sit there, looking out the window, watching the wind softly blow the trees. Squirming, you get up and check your Facebook again. Nothing. No new exciting news, no new messages, no likes or comments. Nothing. Just a month ago life was full. Full of friends. Full of late night runs to McDonalds and old diners. Adventures were just around the corner, waiting to be explored. Laughter and tears were constant, but friends were always faithfully there to join you in either, so it was okay. So many memories were made and shared with people that became your additional brothers and sisters. Now? You sit here, home. The only thing you can think about here is being so tired of...well, waiting. Waiting for the next year of college, waiting for that special internship that you dreamed of, etc.

Sound familiar to any of you?

Admit it. Change is hard. And waiting? It seems like the most terrible thing ever to be given to you.

Sometimes it seems like that in the desert too. As I look at my pictures here, I remember it as clearly as if it was yesterday. It was a hot day in Israel. The wind was blowing humid air and sand as we walked around the bottom of Masada. It was such a stark contrast to the day before when we had been at the Sea of Galilee. I tried to imagine what it must have been like for the Israelites, wandering in the desert for 40 years. This was the waiting season for them, too. And from what I was seeing around me, it had to be miserable. 40 years. How?

God has something special to show us in this desert time, just as he did with the Israelites.

The desert time can be beautiful too. When he asks us to wait, it is a call to renew our strength and faith in Him. There is something beautiful that is gained from the waiting season. The waiting season is where we get to know Jesus most intimately, if we choose to. Instead of the above first scenario, we can choose something different. Trust. Trust that Jesus makes beauty out of dry times. Trust that when Jesus says wait, He is still being the faithful Father you knew Him to be when everything was full of adventure. This is what He promises to you: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like crocus; it will blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing” {Isaiah 35.1-2}. This is what he commands during the desert time: “ Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you’ ”{Isaiah 35.3-4}.

Lift up your eyes. This waiting time is simply not about you. It is about making your great God known. The great God who works in the midst of your great weakness. He turns weariness into rejoicing. You have the choice to thrive.