“So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
James 1:4 NLT
As a parent and a husband, life becomes really full. If you have children, you know that some seasons can get incredibly busy. This means less sleep, some tense mornings rushing out the door, and that you find yourself answering the same question repeatedly in a matter of minutes. There are moments when my children begin to push boundaries as they learn new skills and independence. Sometimes I miss seeing the opportunities here, where I can turn these into teaching moments for them. My Impatience with them can cause me to forfeit these times of growth, forcing them to find someone else to teach them, or worse yet, no one at all.
I begin thinking, “I can’t wait for them to be out of diapers … for them to walk … to be in school … to drive themselves,” and so on. Just like myself, these can’t wait moments postpone our joy in the present. Sometimes, that joy is postponed indefinitely – we can miss these formative moments of our lives and the lives of those we care for. If you have a family, you know these are our highest-impact relationships. If we miss seeing the hidden treasures in all of our moments raising them up, we miss opportunities for God to help us form spiritually healthy destinies and legacies.
If you don’t have children of your own yet, know it’s just as easy to miss the formative moments for yourself and your spouse. Going to work can be a drag, talking to your family can be exhausting, and you can come home at the end of the day feeling drained. Just as I can still be intentional with my kids before school, it’s just as important to be intentional with yourself and allow God to grow you and build you up for what He has in store for you.
Whether you need it for yourself, your spouse, or your kids, breakthrough is closer than you think. You may need to take some time and rebuild your relationship with God after years apart from Him. You wife could be going through a hard time at work, but she needs encouragement to stay because it’s helping pay the bills. Or your kids could be in the most formative years of their lives. Don’t bow out just yet. Lean into God and embrace these moments of growth. Enjoy the waiting!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, the distractions of life can take me away from seeing Your purpose in everything around me. I’ve missed some huge moments in the little things, and I’ve let joy be bypassed when I could have embraced it. Help me to pause, to breathe, and to see Your work in the now. I can wait on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Extra Reading
“But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.”
Romans 8:25 NLT
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”
Psalm 16:11 NLT
