When You Feel Like the Wait Will Never End

by Lois Flowers

Inside: Remember this if you find yourself running out of patience or unable to wait another second. ~

When you’ve been waiting for something for a long time, do you ever reach a point where you don’t think you can wait one more second?

I felt this way near the end of our wait to adopt our older daughter Lilly. We had already experienced three years of infertility, followed by about 20 months of waiting for our international adoption to be completed.

We knew some people who had sent their paperwork to China around the same time we had sent ours, and we were all expecting to receive referrals for our babies near the end of July.

Running Out of Patience

I had done OK with the wait thus far—managing my expectations and holding fast to my belief that God was in control. But by the time that summer rolled around, I was tired. I was stressed and irritable and sick of the whole thing.

Then Randy’s grandmother died, and we went to North Dakota for the funeral. The whole time we were there, I kept waiting for the phone call saying we had gotten our referral.

It never came.

When we returned home and learned the other families had gotten theirs that month but we had not, I couldn’t take it anymore.

So Done

I just knew our papers were gathering dust on top of some filing cabinet, completely forgotten by everyone. I let loose in my prayer journal, basically having a fit on God about the whole situation.

In teenage-girl vernacular, I was so done.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but my little tirade actually calmed me down and brought me back to the conclusion that God was still in control. It helped reassure me that we would eventually get our baby, even though I remained convinced that it was taking far too long.

God Knows

The thing is, God made us, so He knows our physical weaknesses. He knows our limitations and our finite comprehension of what’s going on around us and in us.

He knew how I felt when we didn’t get our adoption referral that July and I started to despair that I would never become a mother. He knows how you feel when you don’t think you can take another minute of waiting for whatever it is you’re waiting for.

When we have respectful fits on God—our longsuffering and patient heavenly Father—I don’t think it frustrates Him like the tantrum of a child might frustrate a human parent. As Psalm 103:14 says, He “knows how we are formed and remembers that we are dust.”

He understands, in other words.

And in His grace and mercy, He has compassion on us when the waiting room gets to be almost more than we think we can stand.

Tell Him Everything

If you’re there now, don’t be afraid to tell God exactly how you feel. Dump out all your emotions on paper (or in Microsoft Word, if that works better for you). Let it all out in a prayer to Him, and see what happens.

If you’re anything like me, the worries, the fears, the bad feelings will eventually subside. Your spirit will settle down and your faith will grow stronger

And when you’re done, you’ll get up and do the very thing you said you couldn’t do—continue waiting.

• • •

Have you ever found yourself waiting for an answer or event that seemed like it would never come? How did you cope?

Lois

God made us, so He knows our physical weaknesses. He understands our limitations and our finite comprehension of what’s going on around us and in us. Share on X In His grace and mercy, God has compassion on us when the waiting room gets to be almost more than we think we can stand. Share on X

P.S. I’m linking up this week with #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.

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22 comments

Ashley Rowland | HISsparrowBlog January 13, 2025 - 8:48 am

Love this, Lois. Journaling has been a way that’s helped me process my emotions most of my life. But I love how you took that and used it to have a Job or David moment. So thankful that God hears us in our times of frustration.

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Lois Flowers January 17, 2025 - 7:03 pm

Me too, Ashley! 🙂

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Bethany McIlrath January 11, 2025 - 4:43 pm

Timely words for me in this waiting season, Lois! Praise the Lord you did get that referral eventually, in exactly His timing. Thank you for this encouragement to respectfully let it out to God! (And thank you for your encouragement received already this week! The Lord knew just the right moment for that.) Grateful for you!

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Lois Flowers January 17, 2025 - 7:03 pm

You are very welcome, my friend! Praying for you!

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Michele Morin January 10, 2025 - 2:48 pm

I have been known to have a tantrum or two in life’s waiting room. God is growing me, but this is probably still my biggest struggle.

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Lois Flowers January 11, 2025 - 10:43 am

I understand, Michele. Just when I feel like I’m making a little progress, I have an experience that shows how much further I have to go. Which makes me even more thankful that we have a longsuffering heavenly Father.

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Barbara Harper January 10, 2025 - 2:14 pm

I’ve often wondered why God told Abraham he’d have a son without telling him it would be some 25 years before that son came. Besides wanting Abraham to live in light of that promise, I think He wanted to do something in Abraham and Sarah’s hearts through the process of waiting. They often didn’t get it right–but I am encouraged that Hebrews 11 doesn’t mention their failures. I’m so thankful God knows us and remembers we are dust.

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Lois Flowers January 11, 2025 - 10:42 am

I’m thankful for that too, Barbara. And yes, so encouraging to remember that Hebrews 11 doesn’t mention Sarah and Abraham’s failures!

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Karen Friday January 10, 2025 - 9:20 am

It’s hard to be in God’s waiting room. I agree with you, we need to express our raw emotions and thoughts to the Lord. David and other Psalmists lamented before the Lord not holding anything back. I’ve been in this place and journaling my thoughts truly helped my soul. I just read Isaiah 55:8-9 this morning about God’s ways and thoughts being higher than ours. It’s a good word for any of us needing to trust in the wait. Thanks for sharing your story.

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Lois Flowers January 11, 2025 - 10:39 am

Thanks for sharing this, Karen. Isaiah 55:8-9 is good truth to remember when we feel stuck in the waiting room.

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Lesley January 10, 2025 - 3:53 am

I agree, waiting is so hard, especially when we can’t understand why we have to wait. I’m glad that we can be honest with God about it though, that he understands our frustration. I think even though waiting is not pleasant, it has drawn me closer to him as I’ve wrestled with it.

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Lois Flowers January 11, 2025 - 10:38 am

Me too, Lesley. I’m thankful God knows what we need and provides it, even if it’s something we never would have chosen for ourselves.

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Lynn Simpson January 8, 2025 - 8:10 pm

I’ve had many journaling tirade’s with God, and every time I feel a peace that transcends understanding. He knows, He hears, He is always there for us. Your story reminds me too, of God’ sovereignty. He’s got the whole world in His hands, and good, good plans for us all. 🙂

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Lois Flowers January 9, 2025 - 3:59 pm

A thousand amens to what you wrote, Lynn!! (I miss you in writing group, by the way.)

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Donna January 8, 2025 - 5:15 pm

Waiting is so hard, Lois. I feel like it tests every faith muscle I have! I have had many waiting seasons, but I suppose the hardest is waiting for God to heal and bring my two prodigals home. Thank you for your reminders that God is working and had everything still within His control!

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Lois Flowers January 9, 2025 - 4:17 pm

Oh Donna … I’m so sorry that you’ve had to endure that kind of waiting season two times over. It’s so hard when the wait depends on someone else changing their heart, doesn’t it? Hugs, dear friend.

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Linda Stoll January 8, 2025 - 9:53 am

You’re right, Lois. Sometimes we do need to have a bit of a tirade (hopefully in the company of someone who is a patient listener!) We need to unpack all that’s swirling inside so we can calm down and re-think, pray, receive new direction, and pivot.

Now that I think of it, that tirade can end up being a prayer. God has big shoulders. He knows how we feel. Looking back, He’s been the safest One in my life. He can take it all. And He does. And He still loves me.

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Lois Flowers January 9, 2025 - 4:13 pm

I love this, Linda: “He has been the safest One in my life.” So true. I think sometimes we expect the other humans in our lives to understand us perfectly, but nobody human can meet that expectation, can they?

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Trudy January 7, 2025 - 3:40 pm

I remember from your book how extremely difficult that time was, Lois. What sticks the most with me is how it all taught you more about God’s faithful character. I am finding that when I feel a gloom pressing me down and I just don’t understand, it helps me to pour out my heart to God in a prayer/poem. Like the one I just shared in today’s post. Then my heart lifted and I could again remember that the Lord’s mercies never end, like Jeremiah experienced. Thank you for this encouraging post! Love and hugs and blessings to you!

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Lois Flowers January 9, 2025 - 4:10 pm

I’m so glad writing the poem lifted your heart, Trudy. The same thing happened to the writers of the Psalms, I think. They start out with heavy hearts and end up praising God. So thankful God’s mercies never end. Love and hugs to you, dear friend.

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Maryleigh January 7, 2025 - 12:09 pm

I have not experienced the adoption journey, but I have experienced the infertility journey – and you explain the wait so well! It was soooo hard. Then, as those answered prayers grew – and more prayers were sent out, I finally learned that the most important part of living happens in the wait of a prayer sent out – and I have learned to live fully in the wait, not holding my breath until the prayer is answered, but breathing deeply and fully. I am so glad God wants us to spill everything in our heart to Him – after all, he already knows what is in our heart. Thank you for sharing the lessons in the journey – they are priceless lessons!

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Lois Flowers January 9, 2025 - 4:05 pm

I so appreciate your perspective on this, Maryleigh. I love what you said about the “wait of a prayer sent out.” I have always thought of what you describe as living in the waiting room. 🙂 Wonderful to hear from you this week!

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