Waiting and Longing

When my older sibling bought his 10-speed bike was the day I desired and longed for my very own 10-speed bike. My mom told me that if I wanted a 10-speed bike that I would have to safe up my money from babysitting and mowing lawns to pay for it. Let’s just say this was not any easy task for me to save my hard-earned money as there were so many other things that presented themselves to me to buy. It took me close to two years before I had enough money to buy my very own 10-speed bike. It then took even more time to go to the same bike store where my sibling got his bike, and the wait was excruciatingly painful as my money was burning a hole in my pocket just sitting there. Finally, the day came when my mom told me we would go and purchase my 10-speed bike. I could hardly contain my excitement and in the end, I had a brand new pink colored 10-speed bike. The longing was fulfilled, and the waiting was over.

Seasons are periods of waiting and longing. Some seasons are longer than what we hoped for or even expected, others are short while still others fall anywhere in-between. We may even find ourselves in various seasons at the same time in our life depending on our circumstances. But the good news is that seasons have an end time. And that friends, gives us hope and joy because Jesus came as a baby when the world was longing and waiting for a Savior. The hope of all the earth and the joy of every longing heart. This is what we still long and wait for in His coming again our King.

What are you waiting and longing for in this season?

Comments

October Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER The Saga Continues… The trip to Malaysia consisted of a two-day spiritual retreat with the theme of ‘Come Away With Me’ and a six-day conference with about 230 missionaries who serve in some aspect of translating the Scriptures. One of the many people who I met was a missionary who served in Cameroon for many years and now is in a new role. As he was sharing, most his words were very negative and depressive. I encouraged him to sign up for a time of prayer and care. At the end of the retreat, this missionary shared with me that he did have a session and I could see that his whole countenance changed, and he was hopeful. His new word he used to describe where he was now is ‘delightful.’ Our time there was creating a safe space for these missionaries to have a place to share what they are struggling with and to connect with Jesus. One missionary is at a crossroads in her life. Another finds himself in the midst of betrayal. A missionary is in a new role as a caregi...

September Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for this ministry. Each debrief is a sacred invitation—a chance to step into someone’s story, even if only for a short stretch of the journey. It feels a bit like being allowed to glimpse a painting still in progress. We may not yet see the final picture, but we trust the One who promises to complete the good work He has begun until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6). Recently, in an online debrief, the missionary shared: “ I am in a much better place since our initial meeting. Taking the time to process my lived experience overseas and to grieve the losses, I now feel I have the capacity to move forward here in my new season of life. ” We also had the joy of walking alongside three third culture children. To see their eyes light up as their stories were received with understanding and care was priceless. These children do not often have many who truly grasp their unique li...

June Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Building connection and trust are important in any relationship and especially when wanting to create a safe place for people to share and process their stories. Sometimes with kids and teens it can take a bit of time to foster those connections and trust. A question that is implied is, “Are you safe to share my story with?” Often it is through play these connections are built. Both families who I debriefed serve in Uganda, they serve with different organizations in the capital of Kampala, and both families are in transition. The one sibling group were ages 3, 6, and 8 years old and as I worked with them, I was able to apply some of the principles I learned in play processing. The other sibling group were ages 5, 7, 13, and 14 years old which was a bit of a challenge for me with the large age span. The main thing for all of them was saying goodbye to friends who have come and gone while they were the ones “left behind”, and for the one sib...

Shannon's Corner

Search This Blog