I feel like I waited forever for my sunflowers to finally bloom. Every day they seemed to grow a little taller but the blooms just weren’t ready to make their debut. Until now.
It’s made me think about how it’s been a season of waiting for me too. Waiting for my back to heal, for my body to get back to where it was before I had surgery. Waiting for this crazy season of COVID to be over. Waiting to see what God has planned next for me. For the world. I think we’ve all been in a season of waiting.
We often grow impatient in the waiting. I know I have. We want to move to the next season, on to something better. Especially now, during this difficult season that we currently find ourselves in. But what if we could learn to sit with this time and appreciate all that it has to offer us? What if, instead of rushing to get to the next season of life, we could slow down and stay in this one?
There are gifts to be found even in seasons of waiting. This season has forced me to slow down, it’s given me the opportunity to search my soul and ask the hard questions. It’s given me time and space to focus on my writing. To connect with others through my words. This has been a gift.
Finding hidden gifts
So often we live for tomorrow, constantly thinking about what is to come. But tomorrow is never promised. What about today? What if you could just stay here, in this moment and look for the gifts hidden in the here and now? What gifts can you find during this difficult season?
I know that with school being out for so long, it’s been a difficult and stressful time for many families with children. But when you stop and think about it, doesn’t childhood go by too fast? One day you will wake up and your children will be grown. Could you maybe see this season not as a hardship but instead as an opportunity to spend more precious family time together and make memories while your children are still young? I realize that this time hasn’t been easy, but I wonder what hidden gifts can be found if you really pause to look for them.
When states were closed down, we had fewer outlets available to busy and distract ourselves. In our waiting for things to return to normal, I know that life often felt uncomfortable, like anything but a gift. But it is during challenging times like these that real inner growth occurs. When we are forced to be still and sit with our discomfort, with fewer distractions to numb ourselves, this is when God often does the greatest work within our hearts. Times like these build strength and character. We learn to develop perseverance in times of waiting.
Asking hard questions
We’ve also had to ask difficult questions in our society lately. And we’ve been waiting for change to occur as a result. During this time, many of us have been challenged to step outside of our comfort zones to speak up about hard topics. We’ve been forced to take a long, hard look at injustice in the world and ask ourselves how we can truly help and make a difference. It hasn’t been easy, but I think we’ve begun to have the hard conversations that need to be had for real change to occur. There is still much work to be done, but we’ve taken the first steps. This has been good.
I know that these are difficult times for so many people. And I don’t want to discount how much of a struggle things have been in any way. But I wonder, instead of seeing this season as a horrible time that we just want to be done with, are there perhaps gifts that we can find hidden in the mess?
If we can change our perspective and see how these hard times have stretched and grown us, how they’ve changed us for the better, we can begin to see this time in a new light. When we can learn to find the gifts in the here and now, we can start to see that even in waiting, there is joy and beauty to be found.
Sweet niece you are so blessed in your spirit and with your writing. I love you Samantha.
Aunt Debbie
Aww thank you. I love you too 💕
It is so important for us to live in the moment and stop trying to get to the next season. In my self-discovery journey, I have found that I am happiest when I am living in the moment, being completely myself, not thinking about the past or present. We all need to focus on doing this more often, which you emphasized so well in this post! Great job 🙂
Thanks, Brie. Living in the moment is so important!
These words could not have come at a better time. I’ve been struggling a lot with time lately. It always feels like I’m running out of it or like I’m constantly waiting for something. It’s been giving me so much stress and anxiety. But after reading this, it’s made me think that maybe time has been telling me to slow down, to live in the moment. Thank you for sharing!
So glad to be able to help you through my words. I hope you’re able to slow down some and live more in the moment. It’s something that takes practice and intentionality, but has been so worth it for me.
So beautifully written as always, Sam! I needed to read this today. Life is full of seasons and we need to find our own way to thrive in each one.
Thank you so much, Julianne. So glad my words could help you today.
I am definitely trying to look for growth opportunities in this season of chaos! I know that in 2021 I will look back and value the lessons I learned. Great poat!
Thank you Jennifer!
thank you for this article, really needed to be patient and let God’s hands work for us. In His perfect time 🧡
You’re so welcome ❤️
Such an inspiring post about finding beauty in waiting! I agree with you that “God does the greatest work within our hearts”
Thank you Olivia!
I have a difficult relationship with ‘waiting’. Back when my husband and I were trying to conceive (for years) the waiting and the unknown were heartwrenching. Other than that painful time, I have learned though to find joy in so-called ‘waiting’. I love looking at the little blessings in our life every day so this post really resonated with me 🙂 Beautiful read.
Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Yolanda. I’m so glad my words resonated with you.
This is just lovely and really helpful to me right now. I’m starting to get restless with COVID happening because it stopped a major life event from happening this year, but yes, taking a step back and seeing the gifts that come out of this whole thing really makes me pause and be grateful. Thanks for sharing!
So glad my words could help you during this time.
This year has been a very strange year, with everything thats going on with COVID so much has changed. I am definitely grateful to be able to slow down and to just have more time to sit and reflect on my life. I have spent a lot of time with my partner as we’ve both been working from home together since March and we currently still are, so it’s been quite nice having more time together. I’ve also been able to get back to my blogging which I am so happy about. There’s definitely some silver linings out of this pretty crazy year!
Chloe xx
So glad that you’ve been able to find the gifts in this season.
I am going to be 50 in just a couple of days. And as I am leaving behind my 40’s, I have begun reflecting upon how much time I have wasted worrying about things that haven’t happened, or wishing things would just go faster. I want to just enjoy each day. And that requires lots of waiting. And it is challenging loving even our worst moments in life. This is such a beautiful post. And I love your reflection on your sunflowers. <3
Thank you, Nancy. I’ve also spent much time worrying about things in the future. I’m working on learning to enjoy the present a little more each day. I hope you have a beautiful 50th birthday.
This couldn’t come at a better time. There is such truth in your words. Thank you for sharing!
You’re so welcome. Glad my words resonated with you.
This is beautiful. I am going through this right now. This gave me encouragement.
Thank you! So glad to be able to provide encouragement.
I love the look of your blog girl and the motto behind it. This post was so good. I am DONE with this crazy season. It’s hard to see the good. But it is ALWAYS there. Because God is ALWAYS present and He is ALWAYS good.
Lovely article- thank you
Such great advice. There’s a song called “Stand Still” and it talks about letting God move during the times you are still.
I think we all just want to rush through the harder seasons of life or the seasons of waiting. I have found myself getting impatient and just looking forward to the next thing. But it is so important to embrace and see the beauty in the current season.
Beautiful post and so necessary for many people right now! I used to hate waiting but it’s true, the waiting seasons have taught me so much about life, even if I didn’t like it. Since COVID my marriage has gotten light years better and I’ve started a whole new business. I’m cherishing the time I have at home and living in a way I never knew was possible.
Very sound advice, thank you for sharing 💜
Maria Black https://mysoulbalm.blog