Waiting Well

When I wrote this blog I searched for a meaningful title.

Waiting Well: When God is Working in the Silence

I imagine that we all may need to learn the art of doing that better. Waiting is one of the hardest assignments God gives us. And if we were honest, we would say that we still don’t wait that well.

We don’t struggle with vision.

We don’t struggle with desire.

We struggle with delay.

We want answers now.

We want movement now.

We want clarity now.

But God rarely works on our timeline. And if we’re honest, that’s where the tension lives. Because waiting can feel like nothing is happening. But that’s not true.

Waiting isn’t wasted when God is in the middle of it.

It’s not empty. It’s not meaningless. It’s not punishment.

It’s preparation.

God uses the waiting room to do a deeper work than what we can see on the surface. While we’re focused on the door that hasn’t opened yet, He’s focused on the heart that will walk through it.

Waiting builds trust.

Not surface-level trust, but the kind that holds steady when emotions don’t.

Waiting deepens faith.

It stretches us beyond what we can control and pulls us into dependence on who God is.

Waiting produces peace.

Not because everything makes sense, but because we begin to believe that God is good even when life feels uncertain.

And maybe that’s the point.

Because if everything happened instantly, we might celebrate the outcome but miss the transformation.

God isn’t just interested in getting you to the promise.

He’s invested in who you become along the way.

So when the timeline doesn’t match your expectations, don’t assume God has forgotten you.

When the answer feels delayed, don’t interpret it as denial.

Sometimes God is doing His best work in the unseen places.

He’s strengthening your patience.

Refining your motives.

Building a foundation that can actually sustain what you’ve been praying for.

Because what comes too early can collapse just as quickly.

But what God builds over time carries weight, stability, and purpose.

So don’t despise the delay.

Lean into it.

Let the waiting shape you instead of shaking you.

Let it anchor you instead of agitating you.

Hold steady.

Hope fiercely.

And trust this: the One you’re waiting on hasn’t stopped working.

Not for a second.

And when the moment comes, when the door opens, when the answer arrives, you won’t just step into something new…

You’ll step into it ready.

Because He was preparing you the whole time.

Like a Palm Tree

Palm Sunday is here, and many folks will become acquainted with the “triumphant entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem as they waved palm branches and sang, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. It’s the beginning of the churches Holy Week and if you are unfamiliar with the ministry of Jesus, you should really check it out. (Gospel of John 12:12-19)

I wanted to share a encouraging thought that we can remember every time we see a palm tree. Scripture says in Psalms,

Psalm 92:12 "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing."

Besides the incredible news that we can still be productive in old age and the reminder that being older sometimes means being “rounder”, it says we “flourish like the palm tree.” To flourish is to grow, thrive, or prosper in a healthy and vigorous way. Flourishing is to be successful, fruitful and productive. People that flourish are healthy and purposeful.

The comparison to the palm tree is interesting. Here are a few facts about the palm tree:

1) They bend but they don’t break

2) They thrive in harsh environments

3) When they are grouped together, they provide an oasis of refreshing

We were made to live our lives producing fruit and bringing hope and healing to those around us. The good news is that as we provide and oasis of refreshing to others, we too find ourselves refreshed. Not just when we are young and energetic. All through the various stages of our lives we should see this “flourishing” result.

So, this Palm Sunday, remember, you were designed to flourish. God has something special planned for your life. You should ask Him what that is!

Messes to Miracles

In the Gospel of John chapter 9, Jesus heals a man born blind—but the method could make you pause.

He spits on the ground… makes mud… and puts it on the man’s eyes.

That’s not random. That’s intentional.

It echoes Book of Genesis—God forming man from the dust. This wasn’t just healing. The man had never seen.

This was re-creation.

Some things in life don’t need improvement—they need God to make them new.

But the miracle doesn’t happen instantly.

There’s a process:
mud → go → wash → see at the Pool of Siloam.

Jesus involves the man in his own miracle. He initiates it. And the man never even asked to be healed!

Sometimes God moves in our lives before we even know what to ask for. Perhaps God is less interested in speed… and more interested in building trust through obedience.

Obedience precedes understanding.

Then the tension hits.

The religious leaders don’t celebrate the miracle—they criticize the method.
Why? Because making mud broke their version of Sabbath rules.

They missed transformation… because they were fixated on tradition.

You can be around God’s work and still miss God.

And one more detail you can’t ignore—

The man doesn’t even see Jesus until later.

He obeyed without seeing Jesus

He defended Jesus without fully knowing Him

He believed when Jesus revealed Himself

That’s faith before clarity. That’s stepping out on nothing and finding something there!

Jesus wasn’t afraid to get His hands dirty.

And He’s not afraid of the mess in your life either.

In fact, that might be exactly what He uses…your messes

to bring your miracle.