“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Recently, I was accepted into a doctoral program for social work. When I initially applied, I wasn’t accepted into the Fall Cohort (the Fall semester). I cried for about ten minutes. Then, almost as quickly as the disappointment came, the program offered me the chance to reapply for the Spring Cohort. They wanted me to meet with the director to strengthen my application. So I waited.
RISKY DECISION
Around the same time I applied for the Spring Cohort, I had another decision to make. Previously, I was accepted into a program at another school. But I knew deep down the other university wasn’t the right one for me. I chose to defer the first acceptance even though that program would begin earlier than next Spring. The decision felt risky, but I knew it was right. Sometimes faith requires us to release what is certain to make room for what God has prepared.
ANSWERS BEGAN WITH THE WAITING
Last week, I received another email. The subject line read: “Congratulations, Future Dr. S!” I immediately knew what it meant. I got in for the Sprint Cohort program. My first instinct was to call my friend. I wanted to let her know. She and I both previously prayed I would hear back before Friday. I received the email on Thursday. Looking back, I realize that the answer to my prayer didn’t begin with that email; it began with the waiting.
MOVING FORWARD EVEN WHEN WE CAN’T SEE THE FUTURE
Sometimes, when we are waiting on God, we wonder what He is doing. Why am I still waiting? Why hasn’t God answered my prayers yet? Did I not hear God correctly? We often want God to show us the entire path before we take the first step. But faith rarely works that way. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith means moving forward even when we can see only a few steps ahead.
For me, the next step is an adventure. This Spring, I will begin my doctoral journey, and I wait for that quest to start. There is excitement in that decision. But maybe that’s part of the adventure.
GOD OFTEN WORKS WHEN WE ONLY HEAR SILENCE
Remember, Abraham left what was familiar without knowing exactly where God was leading him. Peter stepped out of the boat before he experienced walking on water. The Israelites moved toward the Red Sea before they saw the way through. They moved forward even when they saw only a few steps ahead. Is this your waiting season? Maybe God is preparing you for an adventure you cannot yet imagine. Don’t assume that nothing is happening. God often works while we only hear silence. And when the answer finally arrives, you can look back and thank God for the adventure. The waiting is part of the journey.
I didn’t get the answer I wanted when I first applied. I got something better: the opportunity to wait, grow, reapply, and trust God with what came next. And now, I’m stepping into a new adventure even when I see only a few steps ahead of me. I know exactly how everything will unfold because I know and trust the One who does.
WAITING IS PART OF THE JOURNEY
Is this your waiting season? Maybe God is preparing you for an adventure you cannot yet imagine. Don’t assume that nothing is happening. God often works while we only hear silence. When the answer finally arrives, look back and thank God for the adventure. The waiting is part of the journey.