The Delight in the Delay

“How many children do you want to have?” he asked.
Sighing in deep thought and contemplation, I eventually responded, “Well, that number decreases with each passing year. At one point, I wanted to have 4 or 5 children. But now, maybe only 1 or 2 are in store for me.”

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To know me is to know that I love a good countdown/count-up. Maybe it’s the math-nerd in me or maybe it’s my inability to fully live in the moment- whatever the reason may be, I just always know how many days have passed since something happened or how many days are left until something happens.

There are 47 days until my 36th birthday.

In my perfect world, I would have been married by 25 and popping out my last child at 32, just like my mom did with me. As 25 came and went with no man or ring in sight, I slightly modified my desires, but never took my eyes off of 32. Imagine my surprise when my 32nd birthday arrived and I still had no man, ring, or baby. LOL! And before you tell me about Sarah in the Bible- just don’t. I’m well aware of how old she was when she popped out Isaac but that’s not what I need to hear right now. I don’t know about you, but when I am going through an emotional storm, I do not want to hear about someone in the Bible who faced a similar yet very different situation. I do not want to hear about your grandmama and ‘em who rushed into situations and then had a change of heart later. No! What I want is what I offer you today:

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The delight in the delay.

For many travelers, hearing that they have a layover in some other city is the worst news to receive. They are in a rush to get to their destination and a layover is an unnecessary delay to their day. For me, because the takeoff is my favorite part of flying, layovers are a welcomed delight because that means that I have another takeoff to experience. Sidebar, another added delight is that I can take a bathroom break and not have to use an airplane lavatory. I used a porta-potty last month and I am still emotionally scarred…

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Beloved, there is truly delight in every delay that we experience in life. Whether it’s a delay in a promotion, a delay in travel, or even a delay in relationships, God is still in the midst and if He said YES, it will surely come to pass!

That’s what I had to realize. My true heart’s calling took 13 years to be discovered and then 3 additional years to come into fruition. Today, I am truly walking in the lane that God created just for M.E. and I could not be more joyful about it! I am blessed to wake up every day and do exactly what God called me to do, where He called me to do it, and in His perfect way. For many years I lamented over the “what-ifs” of life, not realizing that God had something greater than my wildest imagination waiting for me. My heart’s calling was delayed, but it was not denied… and there was delight in it all.

I do not know what you are waiting on God for today, dear friend, but I humbly ask one thing of you: stop and take in where you are right now. What is currently happening in your life that is evident of God’s hand still moving on your behalf? What do you really want, versus what you can actually handle? Once you get all that you desire, where does God fit into the picture? These are some great questions to consider as we continue to wait for God to move in our lives. Remember, God has plans for our good- even if His plans don’t look like what we envisioned. Remember, God’s promises are YES and AMEN- He will always do what He said He would do, even if it doesn’t happen on our timeline. Remember, God is a loving Father- He wants the best for you at all times.

I say this to you and to me with all the love that my waiting heart can muster: don’t grow weary in waiting; simply find the delight in the delay.

Be blessed.