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It was early morning, and I had just prepared my cup of tea to take to my prayer chair when I heard a tap on the sliding glass door. My husband was standing on the porch.
As I opened the door, he said, “You’ve got to come see this.”
So, with mug in hand, I stepped outside.
The Waiting in Between
It can often feel as though the wins and successes in life are few and far between. There can be so much waiting in between: the waiting for an injury to finally heal, an opportunity to arrive, a fear to be conquered, something we’ve worked toward to finally be achieved, or a loved one to see what we’ve seen all along.
Waiting for a breakthrough can test our patience, endurance, and perseverance. And when we’ve been waiting a long time, it can be easy to wonder if anything is happening or will ever happen at all.
As I walked onto the porch, my husband was taking a picture of the sunrise. He’s fascinated by sunrises and sunsets. Something moves deep within him whenever he catches a glimpse of one.
Through the Fog
This particular morning, a layer of fog hung low over the river in the distance. The sun was slowly rising and beginning to make its appearance through the fog. We stood there quietly, taking it in. The colors, the trees, the humid and heavy summer air, and the sun’s rays breaking through a canopy of trees.
It’s funny to think that the sun is always present; it’s only that there are times we cannot see it or feel its warmth. But just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not present.
What if He is Already Working?
I wonder how often the same is true in our seasons of waiting. I know I can become so focused on the breakthrough I’m hoping for-the healing, the answer, the opportunity, the change in someone I love-that I forget to look for evidence that God is already moving.
But what if He has been there working all along-creating the right environment, making connections, arranging the timing, allowing for the learning and growing? What if the waiting isn’t wasted time, but God moving in us, through us, and in others?
Maybe God is strengthening something inside of us that will be needed for what comes next. Perhaps He is loosening our grip on something we hold too tightly. Or maybe He is deepening our trust, reshaping our heart’s desire, or teaching us to recognize His presence before our circumstances ever change. Perhaps He is reminding us not to chase an outcome or desire, but instead to seek Him.
The Gift Hidden in the Waiting
So much of God’s work seems to happen quietly, beneath the surface, beyond what we can immediately see. His work is steadfast and constant; if we can pause long enough, we will notice.
Just as we tend to notice the sun when it finally breaks through the fog, it’s often easier to recognize God’s hand in the answered prayer, the open door, the healing, the reconciliation, the long-awaited yes. These are grace-filled moments, gifts of His mercy and love, and they are worth celebrating.
But perhaps there is another gift hidden in the waiting. His presence.
Standing beside my husband that morning, tea in hand, watching the sun slowly emerge through the fog, I was reminded that God is ever so close. He is present in our everyday comings and goings, in the waiting and the receiving, in the questions and the answers, in the breakthroughs and the victories.
And He is present even when the fog hasn’t lifted yet.
Lord, Help us to See
Perhaps you are waiting for something right now. Maybe you’ve been praying for a breakthrough for so long that you’re beginning to wonder whether anything will ever happen.
God reminded me this week to look for the glimpses of His presence along the way: the unexpected encouragement from a friend, the quiet peace in the storm, the person who shows up at just the right moment, the strength you didn’t know you had, and the sunrise that makes you stop what you’re doing to catch a glimpse of creation’s beauty.
The sun’s rays breaking through the canopy reminded me that God is always near. He is working. He sees us and loves us.
Lord, help us to see you. To catch a glimpse of your working in our lives even when the fog feels so thick we can’t see. Help us to recognize the glimpses of You that we can often rush past.
The sun will rise.
The fog may linger.
Morning is coming.
