In the Waiting

While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. (Acts 1:4 CSB)

Young, bright-eyed, and eager to mark a generation of women for Jesus, I scribbled down my to-do list as quickly as the conference presenters poured out their advice on how to take our ministry to the next level. I admired these leaders. They were accomplished and well-spoken, and their list of accolades announced that they were not only women to learn from but also to follow. Yes, I wanted to do what they were doing. How exciting to be used by God in such a tangible way.

I raced home after their charge, and in between the babies’ nap times and laundry piles, work deadlines and bill paying, I started dreaming a God-sized vision.

And then I prayed. And waited. I knew something exciting was coming my way. I petitioned. And waited some more. “Don’t forget, I’m your girl, Lord.”

Crickets.

So I pleaded. “Lord, I’m eager and ready to make Your name known. Reveal Your calling for my life. Use me.”

And then it was as if I heard Him whisper, “Jen, wait. Your list is good, but stay rooted in your present Jerusalem, your home, and My plan will be greater.”

I thought maybe I’d heard Him wrong. Stay put and wait?

I wonder if the disciples felt that same way after Christ’s resurrection. Not only had they seen Jesus perform miraculous signs and wonders but they’d witnessed their risen Lord go from death to life. Can you even imagine? They touched His nail-pierced hands. He was alive! If I were the disciples, I’d round up doubters from every possible place and sprint to showcase Christ’s great works. Yet Jesus’s response in Acts 1:4 stuns me.

He commands the disciples to stay put, to wait. I can only imagine the questions they tossed Jesus’s way after that declaration.

“But why wait, Lord?” I’m sure they felt a sense of urgency to go, yet they were commanded not to leave Jerusalem but to wait. I know Jesus wasn’t telling the disciples to sit and do nothing, so I pondered new perspectives and priorities.

In our culture that screams bigger, better, smarter, stronger, faster, and famous, it’s challenging to quiet our hearts to see smaller as significant and slower as sanctified. In a world of quick fixes and googling instantaneous answers, waiting isn’t weakness or unwillingness. Waiting requires strength and resolve.

I tucked away that conference to-do list for nearly twenty years. It was a good list with a God-honoring vision, but His calling for that season encouraged me to stay put for decades. It was there that He carved true contentment: a new legacy. My God-sized dream looked like showing up for small moments, working faithfully in jobs I didn’t love, opening doors to neighbors who needed a safe place to share, and making one more meal when I had just finished cleaning up the last. It looked like waiting through seasons of sickness and unemployment, through broken relationships and eventual restoration.

Staying put revealed God’s Word fleshed out in everyday, seemingly insignificant moments, and I can honestly say that nothing beats the life-giving abundance that comes from choosing to be deeply rooted and invested right where He has us—in our Jerusalem, our workplace, our school, our everyday table.

I’m still waiting for the place the Lord prepares in advance for me and my family, wherever that may be. But aren’t we all?

Each day I wake up expectant, because it’s in the waiting that all God’s promises are fulfilled.

Prayer:

Lord, I’m weary of waiting. All I hear is crickets when I expect angel choruses. I’d even settle for a still, small voice whispering in the wind. But if this is where You want me, this is where I will stay, and I will wait for You right here in my Jerusalem. May I have strength and patience in this season of seemingly insignificant moments, knowing that each one is a building block to a firmer foundation. Amen.

This is an excerpt from Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life’s Not Okay by (in)courage  - a devotional book now available on DaySpring.com. Learn more about this book, or shop other books & devotionals from DaySpring.