By 
As the mother of two extremely energetic and active boys, I confess that the idea of waiting often feels like a luxury. Our little family is moving at warp speed through each day. Mixed within such a rapid pace are pressing needs. I can be easily pushed and pulled to solve problems without hesitation. Daily those brave boys set before me their disappointed hearts, crushed dreams, and scraped knees. In this busy season of motherhood I physically ache when I cannot quickly fix the hurts they bring to me.
Yet, waiting signifies desire.
The desire to wait reveals a deep trust in the One we have placed our expectations in. It communicates dependence. It is not desperation that causes us to wait on the Lord, but hope.
God shows us the benefits of waiting. Our strength will be renewed, like a blade of grass sprouting up out of the earth. We will shoot forth, excel, and climb like a soaring eagle moving in the direction of God, His perspective, His promises, His plan, and His purposes. We will dart swiftly to Him in crisis, without fainting or becoming fatigued. We will move in faith, even when our footsteps slow. We will not grow weary in our toil or labor.
The journey towards God is free and clear of obstacles. I cannot say the same for the carelessly traveled paths I have taken when spurred on by self-proclaimed independence—paths driven by fears and insecurities as I have defiantly tried to shoulder, all by myself, the burdens of life fit only for the shoulders of an infinite God.
For the Christian, whose hope and expectation is in the Lord, the words in Isaiah are not merely words on the pages of an ancient book. These are the God-breathed words of promise: promises given to those who are in Christ, not mindlessly read but mindfully lived; words strong enough to stand on, even when life swirls around us and calls out to us in a panic.
We wait on the One who may not fix every hurt, but certainly redeems. To wait on the Lord is to stand in His presence with His words in our hearts and readily on the tips of our tongues.
The wounds of life draw us into relationship with the One who redeems.
Because we understand Who He is, we expectantly bring our disappointed hearts, crushed dreams, scraped knees, and set them at His feet.
But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]
Will gain new strength and renew their power;
They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];
They will run and not become weary,
They will walk and not grow tired.
Isaiah 40:31 (AMP)
It’s been six years since I penned these words.
My oldest is now a sophomore in college and my youngest is a junior in high school. Days move slower and their needs look different in this new season of parenting. They no longer expect me to fix all of their hurts, only to listen and to pray. My desire is to be always directing them to their very present hope, a relationship with Christ. My constant prayer is that they place before the Lord their every hurt, and that the wounds of life draw them more deeply into relationship with the One who redeems.
Windy Gallagher
Windy Gallagher lives in Tyler, Texas where she is a thankful wife to her college sweetheart, and a mother of two brave and handsome boys. Windy has been a Womenary student for many years and is a member of the Womenary board. Her passion for the Lord is often expressed through her writing about the real struggles of life and the practical and profound ways God uses them to bring victory and freedom in her life. Join her on Facebook or twitter @windybecca 
