Have you ever really misunderstood something? Maybe it was something someone else said or wrote, and for whatever reason, you took it to mean something different than the author probably intended.
As I began to think about this blog post, I thought about what God has been teaching me. Then, this quote popped into my head: “Adventure is Waiting.” I had seen it on Pinterest and pinned it as one of my Inspirational Quotes.
Only this morning, when I thought about it again, I realized I had gotten the intended meaning all wrong. Clearly, it means adventure is just on the horizon; you just need to step out and go for it! But what I thought it meant was “Waiting is an adventure.”
Isn’t it funny how God uses odd, seemingly meaningless things to speak to us? Here was a quote that was supposed to inspire us to seek out and go on adventures, but because I’m in a time of waiting on God, God reminded me that there is still adventure in the waiting periods of life.
So, I guess maybe that quote meant exactly what it was supposed to mean to me.
When I thought about what the Bible has to say about adventures and waiting, I actually came up with a verse that pertains to both things. Surprising, right? Waiting is not usually very exciting. Who likes to wait in line for their coffee at Starbucks? No one! We all know the good stuff is just right ahead of us.
And that’s how I feel about waiting right now. I’m impatient because I know there is good stuff ahead of me (Rom 8:28). But God has a message for us who are patiently, or impatiently waiting.
“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:14, NLT
When we are waiting on God, we are to be brave and courageous. Another version of this verse says, “be strong and take heart.” But isn’t it interesting how the adventure words, like brave, strong and courageous are sandwiched right between the identical phrases telling us to wait patiently?
That tells me that it takes strength and bravery to wait patiently before the Lord. Think about it, isn’t it insanely hard to be patient when you want something so bad? Isn’t it so hard to sometimes trust an unseen God to deliver on a big promise?
Yes, faith takes courage and bravery.
Having faith is often compared to “taking the leap.” Last time I checked, leaping off of something high is pretty daunting. It takes courage.
Waiting isn’t easy, but I think that quote, even my misinterpreted analysis of it, is correct. God is in the waiting. Our lives in the waiting periods are not wasted. When we wait, God is sometimes preparing us for what is to come. This could involve new opportunities or roles to build our faith and our experience. That sounds like an adventure to me!
Let’s compare it to the adventure of being pregnant. When us women are pregnant, we eagerly await the arrival of our new baby. But it is so crucial for the baby’s health and development that they stay in our wombs for as long as possible. The baby is being prepared to live in the outside world. And when the baby arrives? Well that’s when the real adventure begins: motherhood!
There is such comfort to know that God uses every moment of our lives for His glory and His plans. Our waiting periods are hard and uncomfortable, but if we bravely and patiently wait, we will eventually understand what that waiting was for.
So yes, my friends, there is adventure in the waiting. For with God, nothing is wasted.
