You know the feeling you get when you’ve been waiting for something for so long and it finally comes? The wait is finally over and the celebration is here! It’s like kids on Christmas morning. All month they’ve been eyeing those presents under the tree. They might have even tried shaking them to guess the contents. The anticipation builds, the patience gets harder, and the question, “how much longer?” is always in their thoughts. And finally, on Christmas morning, the wait is over; it’s time to open presents! There’s a deep satisfaction after such a long, anticipation-filled wait.
But what about that longing period? The time when you’re still waiting for that thing you dream of: a husband, a baby, a job, a visa—I could go on. We’re all probably longing for something. There’s a saying that if you’re not currently in a waiting period, you will be soon. The longing season can be filled not only with expectation, but also with disappointment, doubt, pain, and suffering. What should we do while we’re in such a season?
I’ve waited a lot in my life. It must be a theme. I waited two years before getting a job out of college, and then another two before being called to where I am now. I waited 28 years before going on a date and 31 years to have my first kiss (on my wedding day). Now, I’m waiting for children to fill our home, a dream I’ve always longed for.
My waiting is nothing compared to some people’s. Abraham and Sarah waited 100 years to have a baby. Joseph waited two years to be released from a false claim. David waited 15 years to be called king. Mary waited 33 years to see God’s fulfillment of prophecy for her son.
In the years I’ve spent longing and waiting, I have seen some of the deepest growth. I’ve been stretched, refined, and pruned in more ways than I would think possible. Peter tells us, “[Waiting periods] have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7 NIV). God often uses our waiting periods as seasons of growth. More love, more peace, more grace, and more faith are grown as we learn how to give our worries to God and trust him as we long for the better thing.
Christmas also reminds us that there’s purpose in the longing. We see Jesus, a helpless baby, sent to save the world. Why didn’t God send him as at least a teenager? Then the wait wouldn’t have been so very long. But no matter the reason, we can know there was a purpose. God will never waste our periods of longing.
Longing is always met with celebration at the end: a celebration of a birth or of the two lines on a pregnancy test, a celebration of marriage or being asked out on a date, a celebration of that promotion you’ve dreamt of for years, or of that visa that finally gets approved.
But in this life, we won’t ever stop longing until Christ returns. That is our ultimate celebration. It’s what our souls are yearning for. When Jesus comes back, all our longings will be turned into joyous songs and praise forevermore. No more crying, no more pain—all the things that accompany longing will pass away as if they never existed.
As we conclude this Christmas season, let us hold on to our expectations with eagerness. Let us not despair in the longing seasons, but continue to hope and trust. Let us be reminded of the purpose in our longing to grow our faith and point us to Christ.
Are you currently in a season of longing? How has God been growing you in this season?
2 Responses
I am currently in the stage of longing for one of our adult children to return to Christ and embrace the truths in God’s Word as he had for so many years. While I would say that the longing/waiting period of the first few years of his moving away from Christ was characterized by my heart’s fretting, fear (for his soul), and moment-to-moment struggle to believe in the sovereignty of God, I have recently seen the Holy Spirit training my heart, in those moments of being tempted to fear, to quickly remember that our child’s story is being overseen and written by our mighty and good God Who knows what brings Him the most glory…and while my longings for my child’s return to Christ have not changed, my heart longs more and more for God’s ultimate glory, even in this, as His plan for our child’s life unfolds. Indeed, God doesn’t waste these periods of longings for us, and I praise Him for all that He continues to teach me (my husband and other siblings) through this time. He surely deals with each of us, where we are, giving us hope in Him!
Carol, thank you for sharing. Having family members who don’t believe or have turned away from the faith is so hard. I can relate. It’s hard to even continue to bring it up over and over when there’s little to no response. But you’re so right – longing for God’s glory and His amazing plans for our family applies to this too.