Revolution of Love.com
This post was originally an email/post to a single friend. However, since it has been a recent topic amongst other single and married friends, I've revised it for a "general audience."
When God Asks Us to Wait
by Bobbi
No matter what stage of our life we are in, it is often difficult to understand why God must make us wait for things that are so strongly on our heart - to find a holy spouse, to have a child, healing of an illness, to find a new job, to be accepted into a seminary or religious order, and the list could go on and on. For us personally it is to be able to conceive another child. We are having no success. How do we handle it? We can only place our trust in the hands of our Heavenly Father and do whatever we can to (morally) help the situation.
More importantly, instead of focusing on asking, "God, why am I still single/infertile/sick??" ask, "God, what are you asking of me while I am still single/infertile/sick?" For us, we have only one child so I have a greater opportunity to do apostolic and ministry work as compared to a mom with five kids. God is using me as He sees fit. Sometimes we get so caught up in the "if only" or "I can hardly wait until…" that we lose sight of what God is asking of us at this moment.
It's tough, I know. The other day I broke down and just closed my bedroom door and sobbed. I couldn't understand God's plan and I was tired of trying. But that is when grace kicks in. After crying and feeling sorry for myself for awhile, God strengthened me. It's a constant work to take the focus off me ("I want this") and put it back on God (What do You want of me, Lord?). And this applies to many matters in our life, not just major things such as singleness or infertility.
This is also a perfect time to really test our love of God. Are we a fair weather friend that only sticks around when things are going well? Is our love conditional - we'll praise God as long as all our prayers are answered as we want them? Or does our love go beyond our wants, and even needs? Do we trust in God's judgment with the faith of a child, knowing that He will never do anything that is not the best for us because He loves us beyond comprehension?
There is no easy answer but all we can do is draw closer to God, take comfort in His love and wisdom, and keep busy with His will at this particular moment in our lives.