Waiting  …  it’s an interesting thing. Normally viewed as a drudgery, it usually doesn’t hit a Top 10 list anywhere. Instead we’re usually anxious for the next thing.

When my daughter was an infant, I couldn’t wait for her to talk. Most youth can’t wait until they get their driver’s license. High school students can’t wait until they graduate. We can’t stand waiting in long lines.

Waiting just means postponing what we really wish was already here. So what’s the problem? There is a whole lot of life and growth to be discovered IN the waiting.

I’m not a naturally patient person. I’m a mover and a shaker, go-getter, my mind goes faster than my mouth, and my feet faster than my mind. I’m always looking ahead to what’s next and even begin planning vacations nearly a year in advance. But over the course of the last year and a half, God has been teaching me a lot about waiting. For someone with my personality, staying in park for a while is rather trying.

I’ve gone in waves of accepting and thriving in the wait, then other bouts where I’m highly aware of being in park. But here are three valuable truths I’ve learned that I wouldn’t have grasped any other way:

1. Faith isn’t faith until it’s exercised. Faith isn’t a reality in the safety and comfort of life. Faith is stepping out trusting God when you have no clue what’s ahead and continuing to trust and believe He’s at work in times of silence.

2. Waiting isn’t a punishment. I feel incredibly blessed by what my family and I have learned through these periods of waiting. It’s made us stronger individually and an even stronger family. Often the biggest growth comes in times of waiting.

3. God goes before us to pave the way. Anyone can make things happen, but when we are letting God lead, He prepares the way, removes the obstacles, and moves us forward when His timing is perfect. The value of waiting on God far exceeds what we could have rummaged up ourselves.

So whether it’s waiting for school to start up in the fall, waiting for an answer to prayer, or waiting for your child to gain victory over a difficulty, don’t move ahead of God and pass up what He has in store as you wait!

Have you ever noticed that spring has an obvious affect on people? Neighbors venture outdoors. Smiles abound. Attitudes lift. Deep cleaning desires surface.

A few weeks ago I enjoyed seeing warmer weather hint at the end to a long winter. My daughter retrieved her shorts from the closet. My hubby cleaned out the garage. Our dog loved her walk and the white blanket in our yard finally melted into the ground. Finally another season gestured its arrival.

Then the next day it was as if I’d been catapulted to Alaska — I looked outside shocked to see snowflakes the size of crumpled tissues falling to the ground. Okay, maybe a little smaller than crumpled tissues, but they were enormous! My energized outlook quickly melted.

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself looking forward to the next thing (which in this case is warmer weather) rather than enjoying whatever the here and now brings (which right now is a forecast of more snow). It isn’t that looking ahead is bad, but I find that if I don’t arrive at a balance, it can taint my outlook on today.

So today I choose to ignore the newly fallen branches and scattered leaves in the backyard urging us to rake once again and I refuse to allow the approaching storm to affect my mood. Instead I will grab a sweater and slippers, and see what fun unfolds indoors today with my family. After all, soon warmer weather will be here to stay and I’ll get my fill.

Happy New Year! We had a wonderful two-week Christmas break — no homeschooling, slept in, went sledding, attended holiday festivities and parties, ate foods we don’t normally eat, stayed up late, built snowmen, and played endless games. I’m all for spontaneity, adventure, and new things … but there is a time when the routine brings refreshment. This week would be one of those times.

After meals of leftovers, appetizers, and endless munching, today I cooked. Now I didn’t think that was such a major feat, until the aroma floated from the oven to my daughter’s bedroom.

“Mom, what are you cooking?” she said.

“A turkey and wild rice.”

“Really? Right now? It’s in the oven? You promise that’s what’s for dinner?”

As soon as I said ‘yes,’ she squealed in delight just like when she opened her karaoke machine at Christmas. I didn’t realize a home-cooked meal rated up there so high. Then it hit me … we’re back to routine and I’m cooking nightly again.

So as I sit here tonight with my candles lit, my door shut, and my soft instrumental music strumming in the background, I’m renewed, refreshed … and grateful to be back to my evening writing time too.

There sure is something wonderful about routines — especially after a break. Maybe it’s that we go back to our daily life refreshed and what we saw with sunken eyes and dark circles two weeks ago as drudgery or obstacles, today is viewed with fresh insight and smells like a new outlook.

Whatever it is — enjoy the moment!