Hope When The Waiting Grows Long

 

“Mommy, I’m awake. Can I get up now?” Those were the words that used to hijack my sleep in the middle of the night.

My youngest son was a night-gallivanting suitor of the sunrise. And for a short (but grueling) season of his childhood, he’d consistently rise at 3 a.m. and clamor to begin his day.

Tugging his blue blanket behind him, he’d patter into my bedroom and perch beside the bed. I didn’t need to look at the green glow of my alarm clock to know it wasn’t time to rise and shine.  But I’d will my eyes to open and peer at my son through a sleepy haze. 

“No, honey,” I’d respond with gentle surety. “It’s not morning yet.”

Unconvinced, he’d tug my hand and beg me to get up and play. And, more often than not, I’d slide my feet out of bed and place my hands on my son’s slender shoulders. Then, I’d steer him down the hallway to his bottom bunk, and implore him to snooze until sun peeked above the horizon.

But when the hours stretched long and his patience wore thin, my sleepless one would wake me once more with a whimper and a wail. “Will morning ever come?” he’d moan.

I’d respond with a sleepy nod and give his hand a squeeze of assurance.

Then, as the hot breath of his raspy whisper hovered quietly over my pillow, he’d name his growing fear. “But, Mommy, what if it doesn’t?” 

I’d look at that little silhouette framed in a shaft of moonlight and feel a wave of empathy wash over my weariness.

After all, I’ve lain awake in the darkness quivering with questions, too.

It’s the wondering and the worrying that can swallow our hope and leave us aching in our long, listless seasons of waiting.

Will peace ever trump this pain?

Will joy ever replace this sadness?

Will beauty ever grow from this brokenness?

Will morning ever come?

The Psalmists knew well the pain of waiting, too.  Through their words, we hear the timeless echoes of our own quaking questions and clamoring cries:

“My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long?” (Psalm 6:3, NIV)

“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Psalm 13:2, NIV)

“How long must I wait?” (Psalm 119:84a, NLT)

But the Psalms don’t just capture the pain of waiting, they also reveal our hope in the waiting.

“My soul quietly waits for the True God alone because I hope only in Him.” (Psalm 62:,5, Voice)

When the night stretches long and our worries grow loud, we must shift our eyes from what we wonder to what we know—

Our hope doesn’t lie in the surety of the sunrise, but in the fidelity of the Risen Son.

Jesus is with us. Jesus keeps His promises. Jesus knows our needs.

It’s his faithfulness that fuels our fortitude in the darkness; His presence that sustains us as we wait for the light.

So, on that night long ago, I walked my little boy back to bed once more and I climbed in beside him. Then, we lay there on the bottom bunk and rehearsed the faithfulness of our Savior.

“Jesus painted the sunrise yesterday. It was purple. Do you remember?” I prompted.

I could see my son nod in a sliver of moonlight. “And He made the flowers grow in Dad’s garden,” my boy added.

“And He healed your ouchie toe,” I whispered.

“And He helped me hold on when I thought I would fall off those monkey bars yesterday,” recalled my little one.

So, we lay there in the dark on that night long ago, shifting our eyes from the what-if’s to the remember-when’s.

And as we did, worry fled and hope rose.

A chorus of frogs beyond the window lifted up a warbling song of worship in the back woods. Maybe they were declaring the faithfulness of their Maker, as well.

“I wonder what color Jesus will paint the sky today,” my son mused as he snuggled close to my side. “I think He’ll pick pink just for you, Mommy,”

My waiting one tucked his head into the crook of my arm and exhaled a peaceful sigh.

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” I whispered, my eyelids drooping in the darkness.

And together, we waited for morning.

Thanks for spending time with us today!  Let’s rehearse the fidelity of the Risen Son together today! How has Jesus showed His faithfulness in your life lately? Share in the comments if you have a moment.

Also, if you’d like to stay connected, be sure to subscribe to The Overflow and we’ll slip into your inbox now and then with some drizzles of encouragement and a splash of joy. We can also connect on Facebook or at Proverbs 31 where I’m talking about finding hope in the waiting. 

Finally,  don’t forget to grab this free printable of Psalm 27:4 to encourage you in your waiting. Have a great weekend, friends!