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Waiting seasons are often challenging and confusing seasons of life. As the name would suggest, a waiting season is a season or phase of life in which someone is waiting for the next phase of life to come. This can look like waiting for a new job, waiting to become a parent, or waiting to graduate from college. In the past, my waiting seasons were often filled with concern about getting to the next phase in life. I tried to rush the phase I was not, and was not content with where I was at. I’d argue most people feel this way when they are ready for a change.
My Waiting Season
I am in a waiting season of my own right now. For context, I moved to Ohio for graduate school from 2017-2019. I wrote a blog post about a few things I learned while living there in this blog post. I landed a job in Richmond, VA in 2019. My husband and I are moving back to Florida in the near future but there have been some challenges. Although moving to Richmond was an exciting opportunity, we knew that ultimately we would land back in Florida.
Last August, my husband’s company told us we would have the chance to move and I thought was finally our chance to go! We told all of our family that we were moving, celebrating that we were coming home. And at the same time, we were in the process of moving into a new apartment in Richmond. We didn’t unpack a majority of the boxes and we didn’t make our space feel like home. Why unpack if we had to pack it all up again? Unfortunately, at no fault to his company, the contract fell through.
I was crushed to find out we weren’t moving. And I wrestled with God for months before I felt like it wasn’t the only thing on my mind. I thought an opportunity had slipped away, but it turned out that God wasn’t ready for us to leave Richmond yet. And we’ve received some blessings in ways we weren’t expecting. In the past few months, I’ve felt God nudging me to focus on where I am while preparing for what He is doing. And trusting that His timing will be perfect for us. I’ve seen God move over the past few months and I’m in awe seeing His plan unfold before my eyes. I’ve learned a few things in my waiting season and I hope to encourage you in yours as well! Here are a few things I’ve learned:
Spend Time With God Daily
It can be easy to let time with God slip away when we are so focused on the ups and downs of life. But it is so incredibly important to stay grounded in His Word and to spend time with God every single day. Romans 12:2 talks about the renewing of the mind and I believe this is a daily act. Work through your emotions with prayer. Journal your thoughts and feelings and ask God to show you He is working. Or try a daily devotional if you want a guided study. I personally use devotionals from The Daily Grace Co. They have the cutest devotionals and the studies have helped me during this season. Some of my favorite devotionals from the Daily Grace Co. during this waiting season are linked below!
Act Like the Person You Want to Become
It can be so easy to let good habits fall away when impatient or stressed about the future. Don’t let the good habits you currently have in place slip away. Also, consider taking the time now to create or implement habits that you know will help you in that next season of life. If you don’t know where to start, consider daily movement, creating a nighttime routine for better sleep, daily journaling, or reading. Think of a few habits you’d like to master when you are in that next season and start doing them now!
Try this exercise that gave me insight into practical habits that would work for me: Consider what a perfect day would look like to you in this new season. Or consider what a perfect day would look like in general. Schedule everything you can think of. Then write out what you are doing during that time if it can be broken down further.
For example, I know my ‘perfect’ day would start with a morning walk with Lyla {our pup}, and getting in a workout. Then I’d love to sit down for quiet time with Jesus and cook breakfast at home with no need to rush. I’d love to be an entrepreneur so when I would set up for work, I’d like to spend time on my blog {+ to another biz one day!}. But in that time working on my blog, I want to work with brands, be more consistent with writing blog posts, and be proactive about creating content so I’m not scrambling to put something together at the last minute.
While writing all of this out, I realized that I’ve put off working with brands because I wanted to wait until I was in Florida to pursue anyone. Why though? It’s because I don’t have systems {or habits} in place now that would help me get there. And somehow I magically thought I would have those habits once I moved to Florida. I realized that I am the one holding myself back in this area because I haven’t created a system to reach out and connect. My advice to you is to start with small habits. Do not try to change everything at once. But notice if there are areas where you could tweak a few things and start there! If you do this exercise, let me know what you discovered in the comments!
Acknowledge the Answered Prayers You Are Living In
Often, we can get so consumed with focusing on one thing that we forget about everything else. Consider a few things in your life that you’ve prayed for. Take note of these answered prayers and reflect on what it took to get to where you are now. Believe in God’s goodness and faithfulness by looking at what He has already provided for you.
Don’t Forget to Live Your Life
All of these tips go hand and hand but make sure you don’t forget to enjoy life in the present. When writing out the ‘perfect schedule’ mentioned above, consider what moments during that day will spark joy or happiness. Try to intentionally schedule more of that into your current routine. Schedule time to spend with friends or go on date nights. I love going to RVA’s farmer’s market on Saturday mornings so I make an effort to go each week!
As a little side note – it can be difficult with social media highlighting the high points in the lives of those you follow while you are in a waiting season. Create boundaries for phone time + set aside time each day to truly live out all that life has to offer. Find those moments of joy right now!
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