Rx for Waiting: Side Effects May Vary Lot No. 143

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

I picked these verses to begin the ceremony of my wedding in 2007. In 2015, I found myself wishing those verses said a time to heal no more than one month, a time to break down no longer than three months, and a time to build up no longer than a year! A time to weep no more than a week. A time to mourn no longer than six months, but they don't. There are no time guidelines or limits. It just says there is a time and a purpose for everything.

I was divorced and filled with questions about waiting, finding Mr. Right, and the next steps in my life. People told me to wait, and God would bring someone into my life. They gave me scripture and advice like "Wait, and when you least expect it, he'll appear." I wondered if they thought I was waiting on Casper. Oh, and I didn't want to wait. The advice was discouraging and contradictory. I was tired of being told to wait, but no one was able to tell me what to do while I waited. So I revisited a love study that I had completed before my divorce. I found that it provided some answers on real love, waiting and what to do while you're waiting. Some of the answers were difficult, and action was required on my part. It has been an emotional roller coaster, but the hope that it has brought into my life made the risk of change worthwhile. If you are waiting, preparing for marriage, in relationship turmoil, or starting over, you are not alone! I hope you can find some encouragement in Rx for Waiting.