Welcome dear friend, so lovely to have you drop by…I have some Pikelets (mini pancakes) with strawberry jam & a dollop of cream for our treat.
Have you noticed that waiting is one of the hardest things to do & can be one of the most frustrating to go through!
So why is waiting so difficult?
Waiting can take many forms;
waiting for that long awaited child to make their entrance into the world;
waiting for that romantic special One to appear;
waiting for a promise to be fulfilled;
waiting for our prayers to be answered;
waiting for healing, just to name a few.
Whatever the reason, we are placed in a holding pattern, one where we’re constantly circling above the expected hope, this can be a very challenging time!
Did you know that there is a psychology to waiting!
There has been a great deal of psychological research done on this very subject & most come to a similar conclusion on the behavior patterns of those waiting!
The studies found that when people have an expected time for the outcome of what they are hoping & waiting for the following behavior patterns are observed;
- The further away the expected time for the outcome is believed to be ~ the greater the patience exhibited!
- The closer the expected time for the outcome ~ the less patient people become & greater the frustration experienced!
In other words if we think the outcome of our hope is a long way off, we come into an attitude of resigned acceptance.
It’s going to happen one day in the future so hope & expectation looks ahead to the positive outcome which nurtures patience!
Expectations in waiting
However, if our expectation is that it’s going to happen at any minute our attitude increasingly becomes impatient & frustrated as time passes & our hope remains unfulfilled.
Our hope & expectation turns into fear & anxiety. Which hinders the development of patience.
You may ask, what does patience actually do for us & why do we need to develop it in life?
It’s actually a critical component for our emotional, mental & spiritual well being as it helps us to persevere through life with resilience.
It builds faith & trust in God’s perfect timing for the outcome of our hope.
Rest in the Lord & wait patiently for Him; do not fret…
Psalms 37: 7 Refer
Let’s take the above example, waiting for that long awaited child to make their entrance into this world.
I’ve had five children, so this is a subject I can personalise. Five pregnancies is a long time of waiting!
However look what amazing development is taking place in the meantime. A little human with all of their potential is being created. How awesome is that!
When a woman first knows she’s pregnant & given the due date for the birth, she’s excited & hopeful in her expectation.
She accepts that in her patient waiting, even with the morning sickness, discomfort, major changes to her body & the pain of labor that she will be rewarded in due time with the safe arrival of her child.
However what happens when that due date comes & goes!
Her attitude of patience begins to wear thin, the longer the time goes past the due date, the more impatient she becomes which eventually turns into frustration.
Hot on the heels of frustration come fear & anxiety for the safety of her child which can lead to stress, which in turn impacts both her & her unborn child.
Our attitude when waiting either nurtures or hinders healthy emotional & spiritual development…
Shall we ask ourselves, do we need to have an attitude check in our time of waiting!
Hmmm…something for us to reflect upon dear friend…
I like the following message;
“Let go, relax & know that I am God…”
Psalms 46: 10a Refer
Until next time…
Jennifer
You’re welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
Or in Prayer
© 2018 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog, All Rights Reserved. Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com
Tea With Jennifer 
Thank you for sharing with us at SSPS! Nice presentation, if I do say so myself!
Thank you Melynda 😊
Great illustration, Jennifer!
Thank you Lisa 🙂
Very timely post as we’ve been waiting on test/biopsy results for a family member and yep, 2 weeks ago we were just happy the surgery went so well.. now we’re anxiously awaiting results and getting very impatient indeed!
Oh Joanne, that is a difficult thing to wait for, hoping its good news when the results come through.
This was very encouraging. Thank you.
Your most welcome Cheryl.
I have noticed that pattern of impatience in my own waiting when the time gets closer and closer to the expected event. Thanks for reminding me that my attitude in the waiting is so critical.
You’re welcome Lisa! Our attitude is very critical for both our growth in the Lord & our peace of mind.
Lovely to have you drop by today 😀
Wow! Very thought-provoking. I can still remember trying to teach my children patience and how difficult it was for them to wait, especially to open presents. Looking back, I see that we really never grow out of that impatience. We are all still like kids waiting to open presents. We wait, but grudgingly and whining. What if we did heed the verse, which happens to be my favorite verse, and Be still or let go and relax. How much more blessed would we be in the waiting?
Absolutely Angela & that’s my favorite too! Lovely having you over for a cuppa 😀
This post reminds me of a section of Screwtape Letters where the senior tempter is instructing his apprentice that if he can just get “his patient” almost to the end of a trial and then convince him that he just can’t stand it anymore, he will have won a huge victory.
This has always fascinated me, because I see it in myself.
I haven’t read Screwtape letters Michele. But yes if we lose heart & faith just before the promise is fulfilled then the enemy has the victory…
It’s about keeping focused on the Lord, isn’t it. 😀
Back again! I am still on a learning curve for waiting. And God is still faithful.
That He is Michele! 😀
I appreciate the distinction you made here in our waiting. And I can recall both. I must confess though, the entire time I was reading, I couldn’t get my mind off of Pikelets! Must try those:)
I highly recommend them Crystal, they are delicious! 😀
I think that this is so true, Jennifer! I remember as a kid becoming more and more impatient for Christmas the closer it got. And turning to the Lord with our frustrations to find His soothing presence is certainly the best way to handle our impatience. Thanks for this inspiring word, my friend!
You’re most welcome, it is hard learned 😉