6 Ways to Hold onto Hope during Long Waiting Periods
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Many of us have watched a foot race at some point. As the runners approach the starting line, they warm up and mentally prepare to run as hard as they can toward the finish line. As they get into position at the starting line, the crowd holds its breath in anticipation, matched by the runners. All are waiting for that starting pistol, that go-ahead to run down the lane and see what happens.
In several ways, periods of waiting in our lives are similar to the anticipation before a race. There is the desire to move forward, the anxiousness to begin your progress, the uncertainty of what the final result will be. Some would say they don’t see the benefits in waiting, while others appreciate the growth they have gained through times of waiting.
If you find yourself in a time of waiting, and feeling like hope is fleeting and frustration is building, these six tips can encourage you to remain hopeful in the waiting and know God is blessing you both in this time and for what’s ahead.
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1. Prayer
There is truth that connects waiting and the verse of 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” In times of waiting, praying continuously throughout the day is what will keep you going as you wait on God’s timing. When you feel anxious, nervous, angry, and even hopeless during a time of “delay,” taking a moment to pray about the situation, your response to the situation, and peace for what God has ahead decreases those feelings of struggle.
When you pray without ceasing, you continue to have God at the forefront of your mind, building your hope in His blessings, love, and power. Prayer can also redirect our attention to those around us and their needs, allowing God to lessen the stress of waiting as we focus on others.
2. Reading Stories of Waiting and Hope from the Bible
The Bible is an excellent resource to help strengthen your hope while you wait. There are several stories within its pages of people who had to wait for God’s blessings, guidance, and even response. Some handled the waiting time well and were rewarded for it (Joseph, Ruth, Hannah), while others give us a good idea of why it is important to be hopeful and patient in God’s timing (Abraham, Aaron, Judas).
One important example of waiting through difficult times is found in the life of Job, who lost everything and was told by those close to him to reject God in every way. But Job remained firm in his faith that God would help him through this time of waiting, and he was immensely blessed for this faith.
Reading these stories can inspire us to focus on the fruits of remaining hopeful in God’s power and plan for our situation.
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3. Spending Time with Hope-Focused Friends and Loved Ones
Being among friends and loved ones who have been in your shoes during times of waiting – and seeing the blessings that come on the other side – is beneficial in several ways. As Matthew 18:20 reminds us, when people who believe in God come together to worship and praise God, He is there.
When you share with other believers the struggles you are having in waiting on God, they can come alongside of you in prayer, encouragement, and love, reminding you it is worth it to wait for God’s direction. They can also share their own journey with you, developing your relationship with them as well as your faith in God’s provision. Spending time with people who have hope in the Lord increases our hope as well.
4. Journal Ways God Has Brought Hope in Other Periods of Waiting
The prophet Habakkuk knew the benefits of journaling, as he writes in Habakkuk 2:2, “Then the Lord answered me and said, ‘Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.’”
When we are struggling through a waiting period, journaling our thoughts, feelings, and prayers can help us cope with the experience and even finding discernment through it. Journaling allows what is trapped in your head to come out on paper, giving you clearer thoughts and more opportunities for the Lord to guide you to peace and hope in the waiting. It may not be easy to write down on paper what is happening, or see your true feelings in black and white, but it is worth it later to look back on what you wrote and see what blessings this period of waiting brought.
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5. Spend Time Doing Hope-Focused Activities or Volunteering
What better way to encourage hope while waiting than using the gifts God has given you to help others? 1 Peter 4:10 reminds us to use the gifts we have received from the Lord to serve others. Through this, we are being “faithful stewards of God’s grace” while also keeping our focus on the positive instead of the negative side of waiting.
Our hope will only grow as we help those around us, using the gifts God has given us. These gifts and opportunities may even be answered prayers from previous waiting periods. And in spending time with hope-filled people, you never know what they will share with you of their own waiting periods that will help you as well.
6. Celebrate through Worship
If there is nothing else you can think to do while in the midst of a waiting period, just worship. Sing, dance, play some instruments, pray on your knees, do what feels right in celebrating God and thanking Him for being with you during this time of waiting. Because as you praise Him for what He has done and will do, you are increasing your hope and removing your worries. You are remembering that He is your God, who does more than we can possibly imagine (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Worship releases our worries and frustrations, ushering in peace and hope that we need every hour of the day.
Being hopeful in times of waiting is never an easy endeavor. It is usually filled with frustration, uncertainty, disappointment, and at times even anger. However, as we have read through stories in the Bible and seen in the lives of those around us, waiting periods can be a blessing in disguise as they prepare us for the next step of God’s plan.
Without certain periods of waiting in our lives, we may not be able to readily receive the gifts God has for us or be ready to take on the new role He has for us in His great plan. And nothing is worse than feeling unprepared or even ungrateful when a long-awaited blessing or new step is presented, and we don’t know what to do with it.
Just as runners preparing for the starting pistol to go off in a race, we need to keep ourselves hopeful each day through prayer, fellowship, worship, reading the Bible, and helping those around us with the gifts God has given us. As we do that, we will feel ready to exit our waiting period and start running into a new race before us after God says go.
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