When Waiting feels like Wasted Time

A little bonus for you: an audio reflection at the end to celebrate one year of this blog — I hope you’ll listen!

I would like to share with you today about a very common season that many of us endure—one I am currently walking through myself. It is not an easy season, and honestly, it has been a bit frustrating because it feels self-inflicted. Not long ago, I stumbled, and that little misstep has affected my left hip and leg area in a big way.

At my initial appointment, the doctor reassured me that the bones looked great. That was good news. But as many of you know, a healthy bone structure is only part of the story. Around the hip joint, where the femur fits into the pelvis, there is cartilage. And cartilage, unlike bone, does not show up on a simple X-ray. The way I described my pain and the limitations in my leg movement led the doctor to suspect that the cartilage could be the real issue. So, he referred me to a specialist.

Here’s the part that challenges me: I have to wait about three weeks before I can even see this specialist and find out what’s really going on. Three weeks may not sound like a long time, but when you’re in pain, when your routines are interrupted, and when you have questions without answers—it feels like forever.

In the meantime, I have to lay off leg workouts completely. No cardio workouts either. My natural tendency is to push through, to keep pressing forward. But right now, I can’t. I must hold back so that I do not further aggravate the situation. And that is where the frustration sets in.

When Life Feels Stuck

What do we do in the waiting, when we cannot move forward like we want?

It sort of makes you feel stuck. I have goals I want to meet and things I want to accomplish. I like to see progress in my physical strength and health. But in this moment, I am unable to pursue them the way I want. That makes it feel, in a way, like wasted time.

I find myself wishing I could get in to see the specialist sooner, but that door isn’t open yet. And it made me stop and think: how many times in life do we face situations that force us to wait? Waiting for answers, waiting for healing, waiting for jobs, waiting for direction and guidance. Waiting for prayers to be answered.

The truth is, we all face things that require waiting. And if we’re being honest, most of us don’t like it.

Tick, tock

Biblical Examples of Waiting

As I wrestle with this season, I find comfort and strength in looking at the lives of those in Scripture who also had to wait.

• Abraham waited many long years for God’s promise of a son to come to pass. The waiting tested his faith, but ultimately, God proved faithful.

Genesis 21:1–2 “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.”

• David was anointed king while still a young shepherd boy, yet he spent years running for his life from Saul before he ever wore the crown. His waiting wasn’t wasted—it prepared him to be a godly king.
• Israel waited for deliverance from Egypt, and even once freed, they spent forty years in the wilderness learning dependence on God.

These accounts remind me that waiting is not a punishment; it is often a part of God’s process.

What Waiting Produces

When I step back and view waiting through the lens of faith, I begin to see it differently.

• Waiting strengthens our dependence on God. When our own efforts cannot move us forward, we are reminded that only His hand can guide the timing and outcome.
• Waiting teaches patience and humility. It brings us to a place where we must admit we are not in control.
• Waiting deepens trust. Each day that passes without the answer we want is another opportunity to choose to believe that God’s timing is best.

Isaiah 40:31 says:

“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.”

Notice that strength is not promised to those who rush ahead, but to those who wait upon the Lord.

Waiting as Training, Not Wasted Time

Something the Lord has been showing me is that waiting seasons are not wasted seasons. They are actually training grounds.

Think about an athlete who is told to rest. At first, it feels like everything is being taken away. But in reality, the body is repairing itself, and the rest is building a stronger foundation for the future. The same principle applies spiritually.

When I cannot use the elliptical or rowing machine, I can walk deeper with God in prayer. When I cannot build muscle in my legs, I can strengthen the muscle of my faith. The waiting becomes a different kind of workout—not of the body, but of the heart.

And if I’m being honest, that’s not the kind of workout I would have chosen for myself. But God, as the perfect Trainer, knows what area of my life needs attention, and He is wise enough to slow me down when I would have only pushed harder.

A Personal Struggle

I will admit to you that lately I’ve had a real personal struggle with my lack of physical abilities. It is hard not to think about the things I used to be able to do but cannot do right now. Those memories have weighed heavily on my mind.

But I remind myself: just because my body feels limited does not mean God is limited. When I cannot move physically the way I want, He is still working spiritually. He is shaping me, reminding me that my value is not measured by how many miles I can walk, how much weight I can lift, or how far I can push myself in cardio. My value is found in Him alone.

Encouragement for You

Perhaps you, too, are in a season of waiting. It may not be a hip injury like mine. Maybe it’s waiting for a door to open in your career. Maybe you’re waiting for healing in your family, or for clarity about a big decision. Maybe you’re waiting for God to restore something broken in your life.

Whatever it is, I want you to know this: God does not waste seasons of waiting.

He uses them to stabilize us, to anchor our hearts in Him. He uses them to prepare us for what is next. And though we may not understand the “why” right now, we can be confident that His timing is perfect.

Psalm 27:14 gives us this encouragement:

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Friend, do you notice how the psalmist repeats himself? “Wait, I say, on the LORD.” God knew we would struggle here. He knew we would need the reminder not just once but twice in the very same verse. Waiting is not easy, but it is powerful when it is done with faith.

Closing Thoughts

So while I wait these three weeks to see the specialist, I am choosing to wait on the Lord as well. I may not be doing leg workouts or cardio right now, but I can strengthen my heart in Scripture, in prayer, and in trust.

What are you waiting on today? Is there an area of your life where you feel “stuck”? I encourage you to place it in God’s hands, to lean into Him during the waiting. Because while we may feel like nothing is happening, He is always at work.

And when His timing comes, the answer will be worth every moment of the wait.

 Be encouraged. 🧡                                                         

As I mentioned at the top, this month marks the one-year anniversary of this blog. I’ve recorded a short audio reflection to share my thanks and some encouragement with you — I hope you’ll take a moment to listen.