The Journey of a Waiting Girl - Priscilla's Story 2: The Wait is Over
I was introduced to everyone's unmarried male cousins, nephews, and friend's sons. "Should I be defined only by my unmarried state? What about the fact that I am the only PHD holder and the youngest millionaire in the family? Shouldn't all these other achievements matter in the grand scheme of things?" I lay pondering late into the night on one of those days where I had to decide either to settle for some guy or with faith and hope await that one man who compliments me in every way.
I smiled, welcoming her into my sparsely decorated office and directing her to a seat with the wave of my hand. Though one of my students, Charlotte has an endearing quality to her that you couldn't help but like her - pretty, studious, kind, cheerful and peace-loving.
She sat down with an exaggerated aplomb trying to make her 50 kg body look bigger than it is. A grin broke on my face at her theatrics, and I calmly waited for her to start talking, as Charlotte couldn’t be rushed into doing anything. She dug into her bag and with happiness extended a book to me. "Dr. Priscilla, Jesus wants you to have this book". "I do not understand why, but it has been impressed in my heart to give it to you". "You don't have to return it after reading it, please count it as an advanced birthday gift, after all, your birthday is in a couple of days".
Looking down at the book she extended to me, the title boldly spelt out "The Season of Waiting". My heart was gripped with so much anguish, and I managed to put on a smile and gently said 'Thank you' to Charlotte, amazed that she remembered my birthday even though the date is a remembrance of the fact that I am getting older yet still unmarried. We casually talked about other things and then Charlotte bid me goodbye, and I attended to my other activities for the day.
On getting home, after freshening up and eating dinner, I picked up the book that Charlotte had left and surfed it. While checking, a sentence caught my attention, and I became enraptured by the content. "The work that God does within us while we wait, is just as important as whatever it is that we are waiting for" (Ben Patterson).
At that moment, I realized that I have been so focused on what I'm waiting for, which is marriage that I have lost touch with God and what He is doing within me presently. I broke down in tears and began to ask God for forgiveness, recalling that my waiting period was supposed to produce a thoroughly furnished me, lacking nothing and useful for the master. At that moment, I decided to focus instead on God's plans and purpose for me. "God's clock is my clock" became my mantra from that night on.
I devoured the book; I became steadfast in my communion with God, and I became attuned to the Holy Spirit waiting to hear what he has to say to me each time. To further help me with my waiting period, I steered clear of unnecessary family functions and social gatherings where my unmarried state was likely to be discussed which may put undue pressure on me and make me forget that I am being worked upon for a special purpose. I sternly spoke to Bimpe and Shola about my convictions and what my waiting period was for. Reluctantly, they both agreed and joined me in prayers and fervency.
Surrounding myself with things and people that would not pressure me, I began to look forward to the plans God has for me and I began to walk in alignment with all that he wants me to. I became a voracious handler of Christian books, became active in church, joined the counselling unit, and began to exercise the gifts that God had deposited in me. While about God's business one day in church, the senior pastor beckoned to me that he would like to see me later that day if I wasn't too busy. "I will be available sir", I told him. "I will come and see you", I added with different thoughts churning in my mind about what he would want to see me for. The senior pastor has never requested to see me before. "Have I done something wrong?", I thought to myself frantically.
The secretary of the church had texted me the time and place the pastor would want to see me so I went there immediately after I got to church. Eventually, I met the senior Pastor later in the day like He asked and I saw in front of me the marriage counselling team in the same office. To my surprise, the youth Pastor, Pastor Ben, was interested in pursuing courtship with me and had requested of the marriage counselling team as was the procedure in my church. Hearing that, at that moment, I remembered a quote in the book 'The Season of Waiting', "In our waiting, He is working". I realized that so many times, our season of waiting is for God to prune us, prepare us and place us strategically for the plan and purpose He has for us. Those things I had to learn, and those activities I took up were preparation for the place He had always meant for me to be.
My former self had a deficit in building relationships, I was not tolerant of accommodating people and their limitations and was not interested in the service of others. These were attitudes that would have been detrimental to my role in leading people, a Pastor’s wife and eventually, the success of my husband’s work. If I had not grown, I would have either not been considered as a prospect or become a thorn in the flesh of my partner and the congregation.
A year after, Pastor Ben and I are happily married, progressively working the work of God, and doing what he has called us to.
"What you are looking for is also looking for you, but not this version of you” - AJS.
Don't confuse your 'waiting season' with punishment from God, He's not. He is preparing you. He is moulding you. He is maturing you. He is making you stronger. You owe yourself the responsibility of taking on the lessons fast enough. So many people meet their answers only to discover that they have not built themselves to fit into the opportunity. Eventually, they lose out or handle wrongly, the answer to their long years of prayers. Your waiting season is not a waste of time, it's a blessing.
"You usually have to wait for what is worth waiting for" (Craig Bruce).
How effective is your waiting?
From: The Journey of a Waiting Girl Series
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