But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Here's the latest installment in our series of online devotionals, written by a woman in our church for the women in our church. We're pleased to offer this as a substitute for an in-person Immeasurably More Bible Study this semester.

BY HILARY MAJORS

Every morning I ask God to give me patience. Patience with my children, with my spouse, with friends & even with the slow-pokes at HEB. And maybe, most importantly, I ask for patience with HIS plan. But, patience is NOT my virtue.

Waiting on the Lord to give me an answer, to show me the way, has never come easy for me. Hence, my daily prayer.

A few weeks ago, Steve preached on the wait; the holiness of truly waiting on and trusting in the Lord and the renewal that comes from patiently waiting. His sermon brought back a flood of emotions for me and helped me see, in a whole new light, a time in my life when I waited and waited and waited.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a mother. I’ve just known it was part of God’s plan for me. From playing with baby dolls when I was little to being given the distinguished title by my high school peers of “most likely to be a suburban driving soccer mom.” For me, being a mom was a given. It never crossed my mind, that the desire that God placed on my heart from the get-go would come with so much waiting.

When we decided we were ready to start a family, both my husband I just assumed it would happen quickly. We were young, healthy and based on what they tell you in junior high anatomy, if you just look at each other the “right” way, you’ll get pregnant! But month after month went by, which turned into a year and then another. We took matters into our own hands, driving to Lubbock for monthly, sometimes weekly, visits with a specialist. They ran every test. No known cause for infertility. At one point, I remember begging God for something to be wrong with one of us – we needed a reason! Still, we waited. We did procedure after procedure. We wrote (a lot) of checks. I had surgery with the hopes that they’d find something to fix. We did everything in OUR power to get pregnant.

We did an immense amount of praying too. This was the biggest test of my faith I’ve encountered. I was quite literally on my knees begging and pleading with God to just give me this one thing. One child. After all, isn’t that what he’d destined me for? How could he place such a deep desire in me and then not give me that?

The waiting continued and we decided we needed to take a break from the doctors and procedures. It was spring and we made a pact to take the summer off from trying to have a bay. Just enjoy our life as it was. I contacted a new specialist in Houston about beginning visits with him in the fall and had a lengthy conversation with him about my medical history and he promised he would do everything he could to make our dream come true. And here’s where the story take a twist…. When I say I had a lengthy conversation with this doctor, I’m talking over an hour, sitting in the Market Street parking lot on the phone in my car, and going on and on and on and on about our journey and our hopes. And you know what, the whole time I was on that phone call, God must have been chuckling, because unbeknownst to us, I was already pregnant. No doctors visits, no procedures, no pills, no shots. We let go of the control, I prayed for peace and patience. I had been asking God to make my heart content with our circumstances. And we readied ourselves to wait for the fall when we’d take control again.

But God.

We waited and He renewed us. We were faithful and He showed up. And doesn’t He always? It’s so hard, almost impossible, to see it when you’re in the trenches, on your knees and crying out. I certainly wasn’t always praising God during the years we were waiting, but now, on the other side, I can see how God was at work, making us wait, so we could be renewed.

My story isn’t uncommon. I know too many families who have waited or are waiting on the Lord. But I hope that my story offers some hope. You are waiting for a reason, with purpose. The Lord is at work.

Romans 12:12 offers the best advice while we wait: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

God has given me the best reminder of the renewal that comes from waiting when I look into the sweet little eyes of my children. Eight years ago, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be a mother. Now, I have three wild and crazy and precious answered prayers running around my house! I pray that I will always remember that my waiting is not in vain. That the Lord hears me and sees me and that I will trust His plan is at work.

So, what are you waiting for? A child, a healed relationship, a clean bill of health, a college acceptance letter, a new job, a fresh start? God promises us that renewal is coming. Just wait.