A Letter for the One Who’s Waiting

You in the waiting,

Yes, you

And yes, me too —

For we are all waiting for something —

Dear sister,

Beloved one,

You in the waiting,

This much I know:

There are no shortcuts to healing.

There are no shortcuts to wholeness.

For we can’t know God as Healer without first being wounded.

And we can’t know God as guide without first being lost.

We can’t know Him as counselor without first being confused.

And we can’t know Him as comforter without first sustaining pain.

We can’t know Him as intimate companion without first feeling abandoned.

And we can’t find our identity in Christ alone without first losing it elsewhere.

You in the waiting,

Dear One,

This much I know:

There is no way around the ache of the human soul.

There is no detour through the pain.

When we walk through the valley —

And we will all walk through the valley —

None of us gets to skirt around the edges.

We are completely baptized in sorrow,

Fully immersed in its grief.

For there are no shortcuts to healing,

No shortcuts to joy.

There is only Jesus.

If anything, He is the short cut:

He is, after all, our Way home

Even if that way be long and broken.

So you in the waiting,

Keep waiting.

Keep seeking,

And keep asking,

Even in the silence —

For there may be silence —

And even in the darkness —

For there may be darkness —

But don’t you give up Hope.

Hold on to Hope.

Hold on to the name of our Jesus.

This waiting, it takes time.

It takes space.

And, I wish I didn’t have to say this, but —

It takes hard work too:

The hard work of shedding the lies we believe about God,

The hard work of shedding the lies we believe about ourselves,

The hard work of being honest with Him about the injuries,

And the hard, Spirit-assisted work of letting go of our entangling sins.

So you in the waiting,

Yes you —

And yes, me too —

For we are all waiting for something —

Dearest sister,

Beloved One,

You in the waiting,

This much I know:

There are no shortcuts to healing,

But in Jesus there is healing.

And there are no shortcuts to wholeness,

But in Jesus there is wholeness.

So we hold on to Him,

We hold on to Hope,

And together, we wait.

~~~

Where do you find yourself waiting?

How have you found Christ in the midst of the joy and the pain of this season?

14 Comments

  1. Patty Stallings June 14, 2016

    Elizabeth!  Truth so beautifully spoken!

  2. Brittany June 15, 2016

    Oh Elizabeth, God has used your words to minister to my soul many times. This is beautiful and written straight to me.

    There is so much I’m waiting for in this moment. A shorter list would be what I’m NOT waiting for. But yes, how can I know him as counselor if I’m not first confused, guide if I’m not lost, healer of I’m not wounded. I’ve implemented the “steps” toward joy and wholeness, but it’s so slow in coming! Even that is a wait. Hm. Much to think about and talk with my Jesus about.

    1. Elizabeth June 15, 2016

      Oh Brittany, my heart goes out to you! With so many things on your list right now, so many things to wait for, it must be a very stretching and trying time.

      I had prayed these words would be hope and comfort to someone, and it’s good for my soul to hear that my prayer was answered on your behalf — so thank YOU for being vulnerable and sharing here.

      May your Jesus uphold you as you continue to wait, and as you continue to wait even in the waiting.

      Sending you a hug today.

  3. Teresa June 15, 2016

    More than grateful for your precious piece. Today I got home feeling exasperated and tears just kept coming down. Your writing speaks to me in a great way and much love back to you for it.

    1. Elizabeth June 15, 2016

      Thank you so much for this heartfelt note, Teresa. Praying God met you tangibly in your tears and exasperation.

  4. Sarah Van Diest June 15, 2016

    Lovely and true. Blessings!

  5. Michele Womble June 15, 2016

    so beautiful, Elizabeth….

    “There are no shortcuts to healing,

    But in Jesus there is healing….”

    …that hit the spot for me….

    1. Elizabeth June 15, 2016

      I’m so glad, Michele. It’s what I always have to remind myself when I can’t yet see redemption on the horizon of my circumstances.

  6. Monica F June 16, 2016

    I needed this… thank you.

    1. Elizabeth June 16, 2016

      Oh Monica, may Jesus in all His fullness meet your waiting soul today.

  7. Margaret Morris May 29, 2018

    I can’t thank you enough for the articles you write. I am a missionary in the Dominican Republic. After 30 years in student ministry and the death of my husband God sent me to the mission field. So much to learn as I served in training interns and now serving in the area of missionary care. Every article is so needed as I seek to serve God in a new capacity. In addition the articles have helped as I deal with the death of my husband and many family issues that has followed. There has been heartache and pain but I have known over the last few years God has been reaching out to me to heal the wounds. I am blessed to have the privilege of serving in the care of missionaries. So personally and for my calling God has used you and your husband in encouraging and training me. You are a blessing. Thank you from the heart of a 69 year woman who God has allowed to continue with her dream of serving.

    Margaret Morris

    1. Elizabeth Trotter May 30, 2018

      Well, Margaret, I can’t thank you enough for this note! It means a lot to me. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

      It sounds like you have a lot going on in your heart and in your life and that God is really doing a lot in and through you. So thankful He is sustaining you in your new endeavors!

What do you think?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.