As far as I understand, the plans for my church to renovate our new building hinges on one rubber stamp on one piece of paper. Literally all we need is the approval from one department. But we’ve been waiting since we turned in all the necessary paperwork in October. That’s five months of waiting.

It’s easy to get discouraged when hope gets delayed. I’ve been in seasons when I thought I would pull my hair out waiting for a day or for an event. Back in my childhood, I could hardly stand the wait for Christmas Day to arrive. It seemed to take forever plus a few days. Now, it comes and goes before I can even get mentally prepared.

But waiting is hard sometimes. Especially when you know it’s for a good thing. Why does God delay? Why doesn’t God act sooner? If God is truly sovereign, then shouldn’t He expedite the matter?

I’ve learned that waiting always comes with a reward. Typically, God makes me wait until I am ready to receive the gift. He knows that in my current state I could not handle it. Or maybe He’s preparing something much grander than my imagination and dreams can conceive.

I forget sometimes that I only see a small part of the big picture. God has a grand design that is so much bigger than my desires and dreams. I also tend to forget that I’ve never ever waited in vain in my entire life. Every time, the promise fulfilled has been more than I could have hoped or dreamed or dared to think.

So I wait. I don’t just sit by with folded hands waiting on the proverbial phone to ring. I need to prepare myself to receive the gift, much as a farmer prepares his field to receive the rain. I can’t know God’s whole plan from beginning to end, but I can be obedient to what I do know.

In the mean time, I’m praying for favor with the city. I’m praying for the houses on the street where our new location is situated that God would already be at work in the hearts of all those who live there, awakening a desire in their hearts for Him. And I am confident that I will see God acting to make good His promises in His good time.