Women ’ s Ministry
Waiting is a normal part of all of our lives , but it is difficult to wait . Waiting can mean that something is missing in our lives , and we want to have what is missing . What goes on inside of us as we wait reveals something about who we are . Our attitude in waiting tells on us . We are found out , as it shows us what is most dear to us . Betsy Childs Howard , in her book Seasons of Waiting , has a different idea about waiting . “ God is at work in our waiting .”
We think that waiting in line or waiting in traffic is hard . We have other ways that we want to spend our time . Waiting for something to end that we think is unpleasant is hard . This can lead to an almost constant state of waiting . We are waiting for present circumstances to end so that we can move on to more desirable ones . Waiting for Christmas vacation or for the school year to end is hard . We anticipate what we will love about these breaks from work and it is hard to wait for them to come . Waiting for a home to be repaired after a disaster is hard . We understandably want to return to normal , comfortable living . Missing and waiting to see a loved one who is away from us is hard . Waiting for things to be the same that will never be the same is hard . Waiting to be well is hard when we are ill . Waiting for a child to be well is even harder . Waiting for a husband is hard when friends are getting married . Waiting to have a baby is hard when the longing for a child is strong . We all wait on something or someone . The whole process of waiting and longing and what we do while waiting
Waiting
has something to teach us .
Whatever helps us to see what is going on inside of us is a good thing , because it is hard to know our own hearts . We can imagine that our devotion to God is greater than what it is , especially if we depend on our spiritual habits as evidence of this devotion . As important and irreplaceable as they are , practices like going to church , attending Bible studies , praying , memorizing Scripture and the like do not tell the whole story . These practices are certainly a means to deeper devotion , but one could do all of these things with or without devotion to God . Devotion to God is choosing him over ourselves . It is choosing what he wants over what we want . It is knowing that what he wants for me is better than what I want for me . Our attitude in waiting tells us a lot about our devotion to God . It may be hard for us to accept , but our attitude in waiting tells us something about what our hearts actually long for .
Betsy Childs Howard tells us , “ Most women are waiting for something , but some women are waiting acutely . The thing missing from their lives is in such sharp focus that they aren ’ t sure they ’ ll ever feel complete without it .” While this is true of us , Betsy wants us to see something else about waiting . Waiting is not just something to be rid of : “…. the goal of this school ( of waiting ) is not that I should learn my lesson so that I don ’ t have to wait anymore . God wants me to learn how to wait so that I can wait well .” God does not want us to wait for things or other people , he wants us to wait for him . The idea of waiting is transformed “ if we choose to wait not just on our problems to go away but to wait upon the Lord . We can expect God to bless that waiting .” God then becomes the object of our waiting instead of our unmet longings being the object of our waiting . Betsy Childs Howard tells us , “ God won ’ t waste your waiting .” She encourages us with the promises of God from Isaiah 30 :
Therefore , the Lord waits to be gracious to you , and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you . For the Lord is a God of justice ; blessed are all those who wait for Him . When we wait we are waiting on God , because God is sovereign in everything .
Betsy Childs Howard ’ s book , Seasons of Waiting , Walking by Faith When Dreams are Delayed , is a book that can help us as we struggle with waiting . It can help us to see waiting in a whole different way . It can help us turn waiting into an opportunity for blessing . Betsy recommends that we consult with one other as we learn to wait , that we seek out women in different stages of life for support and encouragement . This book can enrich us personally and enrich our connections to one another as we learn together in the “ school of waiting .”
Jane Boatright
Conference on Biblical Sexuality
June 9 & 10 , 2017
MESSENGER APRIL 2017 PAGE 3