Waiting on God for something is inevitable and it will happen more than once during our lives here on earth. One would think that because we experience waiting often, we would have a pretty good handle on waiting. The truth is as humans we are innately impatient. For instance, no one teaches a child how to be impatient. There have been times at my job where a child would ask can I play with them or help them with their arts and craft activity, and moments after I told them I would in a minute—so that I can finish up playing with a different child— they ask again. How often are we like this with God? We ask God for a desire in our hearts, and He leads us to a passage of Scripture, a sermon message from a pastor, or an encouraging word from a friend to remind us He hears us, we must wait, and the wait will be worth it; then, the next day, a week, or a month later, we are frustrated and want to know when will the wait end.
So why is it even when God gives us what we need to continue trusting Him, we still have trouble being patient? Could it be to wait on God for the desires He gave us, we must allow the Holy Spirit to equip us with the kind of patience only He can give us? If someone told me when I was eighteen years old, I would be a single woman at age twenty-nine, aside from being shocked and wanting to know why, I would have struggled with wrapping my head around how I could wait so long, for patience was not exactly my forte in those days. God knew this. God patiently took the time to gradually open my eyes to how this time of waiting on Him for marriage could be used to grow closer to Him, and thusly, be even more transformed by the Holy Spirit to be better equipped to do all the things He has called me to do.
Had I not listened and allowed God to do His work in me developing patience, I would not have been prepared to work in childcare. No, I am not perfect at waiting on God. God has done (and continues to) transform me as I wait on Him. Whenever I experience weariness or doubt in the waiting, one of the verses the Holy Spirit brings to my mind is Isaiah 40:31. The verse in context says,
Allow the Lord to renew your strength as you wait on Him. He will sustain you when you feel like giving up, but you must turn to Him when those moments arise. Trust Him and allow the Holy Spirit to instill in you His fruit, His patience in the waiting. You never know, the fruit He plants within you just might come in handy in what God has in store for you in the next chapter in your journey.