Webster defines a holding pattern as “a course flown by an aircraft while waiting for permission to land; a state of waiting or suspended activity or progress.”
The weather was in a holding pattern; snow, snow and more snow. My dreams were on hold too; wait, wait and more wait.
As the snowflakes fell outside the window my discouraged soul struggled to be uplifted.
A book proposal was put on hold by a loving Father who knows His all-or-nothing daughter all too well. A second adoption was paused as circumstances were uncertain and provision was pending. A newer house was out of reach as financial responsibilities loomed large.
Yet, in the longing for the weather to clear, and in the waiting for circumstances to change, God’s grace piles up high as He provides covering for His creatures.
Do you fight Him as you wait or do you let Him hold you close as He reveals a pattern of grace for hard days?
Do we choose to become bitter or stronger in the waiting process?
I can be jealous that she got a book deal or secretly sulk that they are adopting or throw a tantrum because they are able to live in their dream house — or I can take in the unique beauty that sparkles ‘round me in the interim.
As we are slowed we begin to see what we already have in hand.
I do not have a book deal but the pages of His plan unfold before me as I keep writing; teaching what I know and admitting all the stuff that I do not know. I don’t have another baby yet but my lap overflows with blessings as I help others hold their dreams. I don’t live in luxury but I am thankful to have a roof over my head and room to move around.
As I go to God’s Word, as I count the blessings, as I entrust my heart to His keeping, I am renewed. The season and circumstances may not have changed but my outlook can change as I look for the One who loves me in this interlude.
I gaze out the window at the whiteout conditions and my future seems unclear. How will this all turn out? When will Spring arrive and usher in fruitful blossoms, the birth of new things and wide-open windows?
As I sit a little longer I begin to see the bigger picture.
As the intricate snowflakes come down I am reminded from whose hand they fall. God lays them down to build them up in a glorious display of white. When the time is right He sends them forth to accomplish a special job as they point back to His ability and creativity.
He loves us too much to rush us through these valuable days of preparation.
When our lives are in a holding pattern and we are unsure when the weight will lift, we can take time to rest and rekindle the flame of our love for the One who delights in our company. We can trust that God is growing us beneath the surface as He holds us here ‘till Spring.
I would love to hear how you hold on to Jesus in the waiting room of life. What is He teaching you in this season?
Leave a Comment