What to do in the Waiting

Hey guys! It's Bre here with a quick message, an encouraging story, and a few quick tips. Hope you enjoy :)

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What are you waiting for? Really think about it. Maybe you're waiting to finally be happy and at peace. Maybe you're waiting for your season of life to change, to start school again, or to find a “big-kid” job. Maybe you're waiting on a potential relationship or you're still waiting to finally discover your purpose. Now ask yourself this question: “What are you doing in the waiting?” Are you worrying your life away? Are you a slave to your negative thinking? Are you a slave to sin? I hope not 🙁. Rather, I hope you are using your waiting season to add beauty to the world and grow more in your relationship with Jesus.

Recently, a Christian social media influencer that I’ve been following for a long time just got engaged!! Her name is Jeanine Amapola. She’s 29, and she's gone through a lot of life and a lot of heartbreak before finding the one God had for her. I’ve followed her for a while now, and I'm so proud of her for standing firm in her convictions and spreading the gospel along the way. The beauty of social media is that you can go back and watch content from years ago. I'm someone who is deeply encouraged by seeing someone through stages of hardship and then finally watching their miracle come to pass. It probably has to do with me being a type 6 on the enneagram (no, i don't think the enneagram is 100% accurate, but I think it’s a cool insight into the way God made us). I deeply value security and just want to know that everything will be okay in the end. This past week, I have gone back and watched some videos Jeanine made during her early twenties. It’s clear that she felt a little bit lost at times; however, she held firmly to her faith, and that’s what carried her to where she is today.

In her singleness, she started a podcast, traveled, became a motivational speaker, celebrated her friends well, and worked on becoming physically, spiritually, and emotionally healthy. She started the discipline of reading her Bible and was so close to the Lord that she was able to hear His voice. Throughout all the “waiting” years. God heard every single prayer, collected every single tear, and allowed a beautiful love story to unfold between her and her future husband.

I’ve always been a youtube-watching, podcast-listening, self-help book-reading type of girl. It's been so cool to watch influencers like Jeanine go through different stages of life, and I look forward to continuing to learn from her journey as she soon enters her 30s and her new role as a wife!

Essentially what I've learned, and what I hope you can take away from this is that you never know when your miracle or breakthrough is coming. You don't know if it will be tomorrow or 10 years from now. But what you do know is that the Lord is faithful. He keeps all of His promises. And honestly, He never promised us a single worldly thing. He did, however, promise us Himself. When we realize this and lift our eyes towards Heaven and towards eternity, everything else dims in comparison. So, in your waiting, or in those moments of stillness, I hope you find ways to be in awe of your creator. He wants nothing more than for you to see Him clearly. This not only honors Him, but it is the best way to spend your free time, as you will inevitably experience an abundance of love, hope, peace, and joy. These are the things we are all searching for.

Bonus: When you're waiting for something, it can be easy to find yourself in a slump. Surprisingly, two of my best pieces of advice I have for getting out of a slump come from my Biology II professor, Dr. Lee. This professor had a habit of repeating himself so many times, but hey, several things he said have stuck with me. The first thing he always emphasized was to get outdoors and observe the natural world. God created all of the flora and fauna, and it’s truly amazing when you take the time to observe all the different kinds of grass, trees, bugs, etc. that He took the time to create. Another piece of advice Dr. Lee always gave was to “read, reflect, write, and discuss”. He meant this in the context of studying for his exams, but he also encouraged us to do this in our free time/personal lives. I like to do this by reading books, doing reviews on them, and discussing them with my friends and family. These are small little tips, but they can be a great start to finding a sense of purpose in the waiting seasons of your life.

Hope you enjoyed this quick post!

Love your friend,

Breanna Chavez :)