What Do You Do While You Wait?

What Do You Do While You Wait?

A deeper reflection on the silent middle between promise and fulfillment

Waiting is one of the most universal human experiences—
and yet one of the least talked about.

We love beginnings.
We love endings.
We love the moments where God speaks clearly
and the moments where His promises snap into focus.

But the middle?
The silent stretch of time where nothing seems to be happening?
Where we’ve already said yes…
but the confirmation, the progress, the fruit are nowhere to be seen?

That part rarely makes it into sermons or stories.
And yet, it’s where most of us spend far more time than we expected.

Mary did too.

Mary’s Waiting Wasn’t Quiet—It Was Costly

When we picture Mary’s story, we often jump straight to the manger.

But before the manger came a long season of uncertainty.

Mary’s yes happened in a moment.
Her waiting happened day after day… after day.

No angelic choir.
No guiding star.
No shepherds yet.
No miracles to point to.
Just a teenage girl carrying a promise that looked impossible.

Her waiting included:

• A reputation unraveling

• A fiancé wrestling with whether to stay

• A body changing faster than her understanding

• Whispers she couldn’t defend herself against

• Weeks, even months, without any reassurance

It was sacred work…
but it was also silent work.

Mary was becoming a mother.
Israel’s hope was growing inside her.
But her confirmation didn’t come for months—
not until she ran to Elizabeth.

And this is where her story expands in a way we often miss.

The Gift of Elizabeth: Why You Can’t Wait Alone

Luke tells us that when Mary entered Elizabeth’s home, something miraculous happened:

“The baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
— Luke 1:41

Before Mary said a word, Elizabeth recognized what God was doing.

This moment matters.

It was the first time Mary’s private obedience was publicly confirmed.
It was the first time someone else could see what she had been carrying alone.

Waiting is hard when you walk through it silently.
Waiting gets heavier when no one else understands what God told you.
Waiting becomes sacred when you let the right people speak life into your promise.

Sometimes you need an Elizabeth—
someone who can discern God’s movement
even when it’s still invisible to you.

Waiting Is Not Passive — It’s Spiritual Strength Training

The Bible speaks boldly about the purpose of the middle.

Psalm 27:14 says:

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

God tells us twice to wait…
because waiting requires courage.

Isaiah 40:31 promises that:

“Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.”

Waiting doesn’t drain you.
It builds you.

And Galatians 4:4 reminds us that even the birth of Jesus had a timeline:

“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son.”

The world waited centuries for the Messiah—
and God still moved right on time.

The waiting was intentional.
The silence was purposeful.
The delay was not denial—
it was divine timing.

So What Do You Do While You Wait?

Mary’s life gives us three quiet but powerful examples.

1. You don’t wait alone.

Mary went to Elizabeth.
Not because she doubted God—
but because even obedient people need encouragement.

Your waiting becomes lighter when someone else holds it with you.

2. You don’t try to force what God is forming.

Mary didn’t rush ahead.
She didn’t try to explain her calling to everyone.
She didn’t try to make the promise happen faster.

She simply trusted that what God had conceived,
God Himself would bring to life.

There are some things you can’t accelerate.
You can only steward them.

3. You stay attentive to the quiet signs.

God did not repeat the angel’s message.
He simply guided Mary through:

• Elizabeth’s confirmation

• Joseph’s dream

• A census that placed them exactly where prophecy required

• A long journey that positioned her for the miracle

Mary wasn’t passive.
She paid attention.

Waiting becomes holy
when we remain awake to the gentle movement of God.

Your Middle Might Be the Most Sacred Place in Your Story

You may feel like nothing is happening…
but God is building something deeper than progress.
He’s forming resilience, trust, discernment, strength, and faith.

You may feel unseen…
but heaven is not blind to the quiet work you’re carrying.

You may feel behind…
but God’s timeline has never once been late.

The waiting is not the absence of God—
it’s the evidence of His careful preparation.

So here’s your reminder for this week:

God is working in your waiting.
What He started in you…
He will finish in His perfect time.

A Question to Sit With

Where in my life does it feel like nothing is moving…
and what might God be strengthening in me during this waiting season?

Write it down.
Sit with it.
Let it become a conversation between you and God.