What to Expect When You’re in a Season of Expecting
Blog Post by Julie Gutierrez
“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” - Galatians 6:9
Life is made up of seasons. Just like the natural world, there are seasons of planting and harvest. But there’s also an in-between season, when the seed has been planted, but you do not see the fruit above the dirt yet. I like to call this season the expecting season. Some people call it the waiting season or the season of patience, but I happen to think that the word expectant has a better, brighter ring to it. To be expectant means “having or showing an excited feeling that something is about to happen, especially something pleasant and interesting.” Being expectant means being excited about the future. It means clinging on to a promise from God, and it’s remembering how faithful He is, even when the promise is far off.
I think it’s easy for our hearts to get hardened when God has promised us something and we recognize it, but we’re in the season of expecting. Our friends may be getting their promises quicker than us, other people expecting the same promises are receiving faster, and we just seem to be stuck in a season that we didn't necessarily ask to be put in. There is a reason we experience this season. This is the season for our roots to grow deep and to become strong in what we’ve been planted into. It’s the time for us to be worked on on the inside so that when the harvest is ready, we can bloom into all that God created us to be.
This is a season for our hearts to be worked on. More times than not, things like this aren’t so easy. God will throw tests and curve-balls at us that are meant to grow us, not frustrate us. There are a few things we can expect when we are in a season of expecting:
1. Expect God to grow our patience.
This is probably one of the least fun things to experience. I’m the kind of person who hates waiting for the little things, like for my well-done fries at the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru. But I know that when I finally get those fries they’re going to be warmer, crispier, and they’re going to taste way better being dipped in honey roasted barbecue sauce. In the end my waiting will pay off because the product I’m going to receive is going to be more to my liking and my satisfaction. And what good would my complaining about the three extra minuets it took do? God knows what we desire in our hearts, and it’s probably more precious than waffle fries. He has our best interests in His mind, He only wants what’s best for us. If we just slow down and let Him grow our patience, our future will be better because of it.
2. Expect God to grow our trust.
I don’t know about you, but it can be hard for me to trust when I’m expecting. I have the thought, “yeah God, I know you said something’s coming, but like are you sure we didn’t miss a turn somewhere?” I say that I let God take the drivers seat, and more than likely, he is. But what good is that if I’m still going to be a backseat driver? Learning to give up control isn’t easy, but we’ve never actually been the ones in control anyways. God is the One who makes our paths, and not because he likes to be in control, but because His way is better than any path I could make for myself. He has known every road that we are going to walk down because he first walked down it, so why wouldn’t we trust Him to guide us?
3. Expect God to grow our faith.
Patience, trust, and faith all go hand-in-hand. When we let God grow our patience and our trust, our faith in Him will naturally grow. I think having faith in seasons of expecting is more precious than having faith in seasons of harvest. When we have faith in the small things, God will trust us to have faith in the larger things.
The season of expecting should not be something we’re afraid of. It is something exciting and that we should face with fearlessness. These seasons can come unexpectedly, but we can always be prepared for them. When we have the right mindset, the season of expecting can be a powerful season of growth and joy. Let is always cling to God and His promises, and never fail to remember how faithful He constantly is.
Julie Gutierrez
My name is Julie Gutierrez and I am a 20-something living in Auburn, Alabama! I am a recent graduate of the Highlands College in Birmingham, Alabama where I studied ministry and currently interning at Church of the Highlands here in Auburn! I know that God has called me to reach my generation and bring others along side me to help raise up the next generation through my words, and I want to make Him proud through my actions. I love serving the Lord and the local church, and when I’m not at the church you can usually find me writing or reading in a coffee shop, out shopping with my girls, or cuddled up on the couch watching a movie (probably Disney.) I can’t wait to experience the journey of life with you!
Connect with Julie on Instagram:
@juliecgutierrez