College Courage WORSHIP IN THE WAITING
written by Sarah Jenkins
When I was a young girl, I felt God speak a very declarative truth over me - that I was going to change the world. It’s a broad statement I know, but His voice was clear - He affirmed that He would give me many arenas of leadership, but commanded me in turn to provide a platform for His glory. This sentiment of transformation has been echoed by so many leaders throughout my 20 years on this planet and propelled me to take hold of each opportunity in grace and strength. What He didn’t tell me when I was young, though, is just how hard it would be. He never told me of the times I would be denied leadership roles I knew I deserved, or of the many times He would physically move my family from a state in which I was just starting to establish a platform. He rarely gave a clue to the heartbreak that would come from what seemed like missed opportunities and the pain that came with blaming myself for not having done MORE. He told me that I would change the world, but He didn’t tell me that most times it was in fighting to make sure the world did not change me.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) states, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” This verse has been my stronghold throughout the moments in my life when everything looked bleak. It has reminded me that through all of life’s troubles, God has a plan. Not just a regular plan, but a prosperous one with the promise of unbridled hope and a luminant future. God sometimes calls us to hang tight for the fullness of His promise, but equally beckons us to worship in the waiting. The idea of worshipping in the waiting is abstract in and of itself, as it goes against all earthly ideas. We are impatient beings, not equipped to wait in eager expectation for any longer than necessary - or longer than WE deem
necessary. What I have found though, is that some of the greatest promises fulfilled have come when in the waiting room. So many times in my life, I have made declarations for God. I have decided that an opportunity is lost, a friendship is ruined, or that my calling has been put on hold. However, He’s taught me that those are simply not my calls to make. His plan is vast and far reaching and I must not only trust in that, but must worship Him for what He is yet to do. When I celebrate the process of His handiwork, the outcome is far more beautiful than I could have initially imagined. There have been so many times in my life that I’ve gone back to that day when I was young and thought, “God, why are you keeping me from opportunities to fulfill my calling?” He always answers telling me to trust, wait, and worship Him no matter the circumstance. When I do these three things, that is when I am most equipped to change my world.
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