In an ever-changing world, there is something people from any century would recognize — waiting. Maybe we are waiting for a bus, waiting for a job, waiting for a phone call, or just waiting on the world to change 🎶.

Whatever it is, waiting is never easy.

Seasons of waiting are some of the most uncomfortable places to live. Right now, I am waiting on a visa. A simple document that says I am allowed to remain in the place I consider my (second) home. Without this document, my time here in Tanzania has an expiration date.

Waiting can stir up doubts, fears, and questions.

Growing up, my family took many road trips. But we weren’t the kind of road trip family that planned stops to see the world’s largest ball of yarn. Our goal was to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. The fewer stops, the better the trip. But even on the fastest journeys, stopping was always necessary. Whether to fuel the car or fuel our bodies, we never made the trip from Texas to Indiana or Iowa without stopping. Rest stops were simply part of reaching our destination.

Rest stops serve an important purpose. They offer a little time to refuel, stretch, and gather yourself for the miles ahead. Without these breaks, the trip can start to feel overwhelming and tiring. Similarly, times of waiting are often moments where God gently invites us to pause, rest, and find renewal before moving forward on the path He has laid out for us.

Throughout Scripture, we see that seasons of waiting are common—and never wasted. Abraham waited for God’s promise of a son. David waited through years of danger and attacks on his life before he sat on his promised throne. Israel waited for the promised land and for the promised Messiah. Even Jesus waited for the right time to begin His ministry and for the appointed time when He would give His life for us. These stories show God’s sovereignty and how waiting shapes character and prepares His people.

While we wait, it’s important to remember that God is still moving—refining, preparing, and guiding us, even when we cannot see it. In the same way “You Can’t Hurry Love” 🎶, we can’t hurry God. Waiting then becomes an opportunity for our faith to deepen and strengthen. Like my mother would always sing, “Be patient, be patient, don’t be in such a hurry, for when you’re impatient, it only makes you worry, remember, remember, that God is patient too, and think of all the times that others had to wait on you! 🎶”

So, while I wait for my visa, I choose to say, God, I will wait, I will wait for You 🎶.

If this is where He has called me, I have no reason to fear.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the LORD.”
Psalm 27:14