What If the Waiting Isn’t Wasted?

It May Be the Season Where You're Just Waiting for the Next Thing

 

There are seasons in life when everything feels like it's moving.

You have a plan.
You have momentum.
You know exactly where you're headed.

And then there are seasons like this one.

The seasons where you're sitting in the waiting.

Waiting for answers.
Waiting for healing.
Waiting for clarity.
Waiting for the next chapter to begin.

If I'm being honest, I don't think we're very good at waiting.

I know I'm not.

I like action. I like movement. I like checking things off a list and feeling like progress is happening. But some of the most important lessons God has taught me haven't happened while I was moving forward.

They happened while I was waiting.

And maybe that's where you find yourself today too.

Maybe you're waiting for a relationship to heal.
Maybe you're waiting for a job opportunity.
Maybe you're waiting for a prayer you've prayed a thousand times to finally be answered.
Maybe you're waiting for grief to hurt a little less than it did yesterday.

Or maybe you're simply waiting for life to feel normal again.

The truth is, waiting seasons often feel wasted.

But what if they're not?

The Gift Hidden Inside the Waiting

One thing I've learned through grief, loss, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and faith is that God rarely wastes a season.

Even the painful ones.

Especially the painful ones.

When my world changed overnight, I desperately wanted to skip ahead to the part where everything felt okay again.

I wanted healing without the process.

Peace without the wrestling.

Joy without the tears.

But life doesn't work that way.

The healing came slowly.

The strength came slowly.

The faith came slowly.

And somewhere in the middle of all that waiting, God was doing work inside of me that couldn't have happened any other way.

I didn't choose the loss.

But I did choose the healing.

Not all at once.

Not perfectly.

But one small step at a time.

Sometimes healing looked like getting out of bed.

Sometimes it looked like taking a walk.

Sometimes it looked like crying in the shower and praying through tears.

And sometimes it simply looked like making a cup of coffee and sitting quietly with Jesus.

When Life Feels Heavy

There have been mornings when the weight felt almost unbearable.

Maybe you've had those mornings too.

The kind where you wake up already exhausted.

The kind where your mind immediately starts listing everything that's wrong, everything that's uncertain, and everything that's still unresolved.

Those are the moments when we often feel most alone.

But I've learned something beautiful in those hard places.

God meets us there.

Not after we've figured everything out.

Not after we've cleaned ourselves up.

Not after we've become stronger.

He meets us right in the middle of the mess.

Right in the middle of the uncertainty.

Right in the middle of the waiting.

Sometimes His presence doesn't remove the pain.

But it reminds us that we're not carrying it alone.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay

For a long time, I thought faith meant always being strong.

Always smiling.

Always trusting.

Always having the right answers.

Now I know better.

Faith isn't pretending you're okay when you're not.

Faith is bringing your broken heart to God anyway.

It's admitting you're struggling.

It's admitting you're tired.

It's admitting you don't understand.

And trusting Him with it all.

Some days, the bravest thing you can do is simply keep showing up.

Keep praying.

Keep hoping.

Keep believing that God is still writing the story, even when you can't see the next chapter. And to truly believe, that it is ok to not be ok!

Seasons Change

One of my favorite things about life is that no season lasts forever.

The hard seasons don't.

The joyful seasons don't.

The busy seasons don't.

The waiting seasons don't.

Everything changes.

Everything moves.

Everything grows.

And sometimes we don't realize how much we've grown until we look back.

I've experienced seasons where I thought I would never laugh again.

Seasons where I thought I would never feel hopeful again.

Seasons where I couldn't imagine a future that looked anything like joy.

Yet here I am.

Still grieving.

Still healing.

Still learning.

But also still living.

Still laughing.

Still finding beauty in unexpected places.

Still discovering that joy and grief can sit at the same table.

You Are Not Alone

One of the greatest gifts God has given me through this journey has been community.

People who understand.

People who show up.

People who remind me that I'm not walking this road alone.

Because the truth is, none of us were created to carry life's burdens by ourselves.

We need each other.

We need encouragement.

We need reminders that someone else has survived what we're currently walking through.

That's why these Coffee Chats mean so much to me.

They're not really about coffee.

They're about connection.

They're about pulling up a chair and reminding each other that we're not alone.

They're about sharing hope when someone else's hope feels weak.

They're about speaking truth when fear gets loud.

They're about finding Jesus in the ordinary moments.

If You're Waiting Today

Maybe this is the season where you're just kind of waiting for the next thing.

And maybe that's exactly where you're supposed to be.

Not because waiting is easy.

Not because waiting is fun.

But because there are things God can do in the waiting that He can't do anywhere else.

So take a deep breath.

Pour yourself another cup of coffee.

Stop trying to rush the chapter you're in.

Trust that growth is still happening.

Trust that healing is still happening.

Trust that God is still working.

Even when you can't see it.

Especially when you can't see it.

The next chapter will come.

But for today?

Be here.

Be present.

Be faithful in the waiting.

Because someday you'll look back and realize that what felt like a pause was actually preparation all along.

And friend, if nobody has told you lately…

You're doing better than you think.

Keep going. ☕️🤍

And Maybe This Is Your Reminder Not to Quit

Years ago, someone handed me the poem Don’t Quit and I’ve carried those words with me through some of the hardest seasons of my life.

Through grief.
Through rebuilding.
Through exhaustion.
Through waiting seasons that felt like they would never end.

And even now, there are still moments where those words hit me all over again:

“Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.”

Isn’t that so powerful?

Because somewhere along the way, so many of us started believing that resting meant failing.

That slowing down meant weakness.
That struggling meant we weren’t strong enough.
That waiting meant God had forgotten us.

But I don’t believe that anymore.

Sometimes strength looks like getting up and fighting another day.
And sometimes strength looks like taking a deep breath, crying if you need to, letting yourself rest… and trusting God enough to keep going tomorrow.

The waiting seasons can make you feel like nothing is happening.

But so often, God is doing His deepest work underground where nobody else can see it yet.

Roots are growing.
Healing is happening.
Faith is being strengthened.
Perspective is shifting.
You are becoming someone new in the middle of it all.

Even if it feels slow.

Even if it feels lonely.

Even if you can’t see the full picture yet.

I think that’s why these Coffee Chats matter so much to me.

Because life isn’t always polished and tied together with a pretty bow.

Sometimes it’s messy.
Sometimes it’s uncertain.
Sometimes you’re sitting on the floor with a cup of coffee trying to figure out how to carry both grief and hope at the same time.

And maybe that’s you today.

Maybe you’re tired.
Maybe you’re discouraged.
Maybe you feel like everyone else is moving forward while you’re stuck waiting for the next thing.

Friend… please don’t quit.

Rest if you need to.
Step back if you need to.
Take care of your heart and your mind and your body.

But don’t give up on yourself.
Don’t give up on healing.
And definitely don’t give up on the story God is still writing.

Because one day you may look back and realize the season that almost broke you was actually the season that built you.

So if this Coffee Chat encouraged you today, I would love for you to share it with someone else who may need the reminder too. ☕️🤍

And tell me in the comments:
What season are you walking through right now?

If this coffee chat inspired you, I have been keeping an archive of them HERE to bring you along this hope and healing journey of mine in hopes to bring you hope and healing as well.

Every morning, I wake up and share a bit of my heart on my socials. If you are not following me on instagram, you can do so HERE and in this season specifically I am sharing my grief journey. Praying that I can share hope in the midst of my pain and how you too can find purpose in the midst of your valley by remembering Whose you are and who holds you! For those who would like to take a listen you can do so below. 

So thankful for your encouragement each day! Your support means the world to me.

Morning Time Inspo- CBM COFFEE MUGS

I am excited to announce, I have started my very own Crazy Busy Mama mug collection. Each one of these mugs have my signature exclusive signature on them. You can check them out  HERE and you can SNAG IT your favorite – Each one of my designs comes with my CBM signature with a 💗 ✝️ on each. I hope you enjoy having coffee with me each morning and these exclusive CBM designs encourage you to put your best foot forward each day!

Much encouragement and love- Lori ✝️

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