This is part two of a two part series describing our uncommon adventure and waiting patiently. If you missed part one of this post check it out here.

Our lives seem to live in the space between waiting and more waiting. It seems like we get right to the brink of something and then we wait. Have you been there? That place where you can see your dream right around the bend and then, BAM, wait. It’s frustrating and annoying and sometimes I want to just give up all together. If you’ve been there, than you know that feeling. The “if it’s not going to happen right now, then maybe it just shouldn’t happen at all” feeling. But what happens if you stick with it? What happens if you push through the wait?

I think the best example started when we first got married. We found a nice little apartment that was affordable and easy. We loved it, but it was small. That’s fair because we were newly weds and didn’t need much room. When our lease was up, we moved into my sister in laws home. She had gotten married and wasn’t ready to sell so we lived there for a year. Then we needed to find somewhere to go. Well, at this point we were just beginning our journey to freedom from debt, which meant we really didn’t want to take a huge mortgage out. That meant more waiting.

We waited, and waited, and realized we needed to find a house. A friend of ours mentioned his roommates were moving out. So we moved there. We socked money away like a couple of crooks for 10 months. But living with roommates was not our favorite. Again, we waited. I was telling a friend from church about how living with roommates was not ideal. She happened to mention that she and her husband owned a rental and their tenants were just about to move out. We packed our bags and off we went.

What to do while you wait

 We thought our waiting was over, but we soon realized that it was just beginning.

So what did we do while we waited, and what should you do while you wait?

Well, the answer isn’t very simple. I think we often think that waiting is something we do passively. We just sit by and wait. But the truth is that the word “wait” is a verb, meaning it is an action word. Therefore it isn’t a passive motion. To wait is to stand by, to indicate that one is looking forward to something impatiently. If anything, while we wait we should be motivated to continue moving forward rather than giving up.

We lived in that little tiny house for almost 5 years. We complained, we whined, we debated giving up on our financial dreams and just putting everything we owned into a house. But it didn’t feel right. Nothing felt right. Only waiting.

We waited. After 4 years and one baby we felt the weight of waiting intensely. All our dreams hinged on having a home we loved. Steve got a call to see if he could help an elderly couple with their yard work. They lived on a 40 acre farm and had trouble with all the mowing and up keep it involved. We figured we could use the extra cash, so Steve agreed. We did our best to wait patiently that year. 

One year later, the couple decided they wanted someone to live in their home and care for it. They wanted that to be us. Not only did they want us to live there, but they wanted us to renovate the house however we wanted, and they didn’t want rent.

What to do after you wait

 What did this teach us about waiting? Two things.

One, that when you are in a season of waiting, you need to be a good steward of the things you already have. This means that when given the chance to care for something, you do your best. When you live in a tiny little house, you care for it. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t happy. It doesn’t matter if you’re waiting for better things. Your job in that moment is to take care of what you’ve been given and try to wait patiently.

The second thing: be grateful. No matter what is happening, there is always something to be grateful about. Being grateful can change your entire perspective on life, and allow you to look at the future with eagerness, but also acknowledge where you are now.

Every time we moved, we had a place to go. We didn’t have to worry. It wasn’t perfect. Most of those places lacked quite a bit. But they were ours. Looking back we are beyond grateful that we found exactly what we needed, exactly when we needed it.

What do you do when the waiting ends?

Don’t doubt, but accept the blessing and responsibility. Our waiting ended, and we were given the biggest blessing of our lives. But now, we bear a responsibility. We care for our home and we ensure that it is kept well. Continue to be a good steward after the blessing and you will continue to receive blessings.

If you find yourself waiting, keep moving forward. 

Reflection Questions

What is something you feel God calling you to wait for?

How can you be a better steward of the things you have now?

How can you better practice gratefulness everyday?

Encourage others by letting us know in the comments about the times you made it through the waiting and received a blessing!