The Life Happening on the Way: Finding Gratitude While You Wait

Dear Friends,

We can spend so much time thinking about where we’re trying to get that we miss what’s happening while we’re getting there.

We’re waiting for the next opportunity, the answered prayer, the finished project, the more settled season. We tell ourselves, When I get there, then I’ll feel better. Then I’ll be grateful. Then I can finally exhale.

But life is happening before we reach the thing we’re waiting for. And sometimes God is doing some of the most important work in us right there—in the waiting, the detours, and the moments we didn’t plan.

Last week, Jermaine and I went to a movie premiere at a church. We had VIP seats, so we joined the VIP line and were escorted into the sanctuary. That sounds like it should have been a quick trip to our seats. It was not.

There were about 4,000 people there, and somehow it took several ushers to find us a place. We circled the auditorium and were passed from one usher to the next. I think we met about five of them before we were finally seated.

It could have been frustrating. We could have stood there wondering why our VIP experience involved so much walking. But we kept a good attitude. We laughed, talked with the ushers, and enjoyed the little journey around the sanctuary. By the time we reached the last usher, we were seated in the second row.

Those were some very good seats. And, honestly, after all that walking, we had earned them—or at least our step counters had.

But the part I keep thinking about isn’t only where we ended up. It’s how we spent the time getting there. We could have been irritated about the delay, and instead we shared a few laughs and small conversations. The destination was good, but there was something good happening on the way, too.

That’s easy to forget when we’re waiting for something that matters to us. We can focus so much on when will this happen? or how much longer? that we overlook what this season is asking of us—and what it might be growing in us.

Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending the waiting is easy. Some waits are long. Some detours are painful. And having a positive attitude doesn’t guarantee that everything will work out exactly the way we hoped. But gratitude can help us stay present enough to notice the people, the small joys, and the strength we’re finding along the way.

God is interested in the destination, but also in the transformation that happens as we move toward it. Maybe patience is growing in us. Maybe we’re learning how to receive help, how to laugh in an uncertain moment, or how to be kind when things aren’t going according to plan.

So while we keep hoping and believing for what’s ahead, may we also pay attention to the life happening right now. The answer may not have arrived yet. The seats may still be hard to find. But there may be something here worth noticing, and something in us still becoming.

Sunday Reflection

What has changed about what you need, enjoy, or hope for?

Consider sharing one of those changes with someone you love: “Something I’m learning about myself lately is…”

Then invite them to share, too. Let it be a chance to get to know each other again.

Until Next Sunday

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The Life Happening on the Way

Sunday Reflection

Until Next Sunday

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