A Word on Patience and Working Toward the Future

Sometimes our dreams take a little longer than we’d like to fulfill.

This is the biblical pattern found throughout the Scriptures, because God’s timeline is not our timeline.

The waiting period is preparation for the ultimate fulfillment of those dreams.

The person you are today might not be able to handle what you’re accomplishing day by day. Who you are today isn’t negative by any means. It’s still you. But life is a forward-facing road of twists and turns.

We don’t always understand how our goals will be fulfilled. But serendipitous events and situations occur when you put full trust in our King.

I’ve read stories of actors who met other actors who changed Hollywood together because of a synchronistic meeting that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. A little wink from on high, if you will.

Some biblical figures, like Joseph, did not know how their dreams would be fulfilled. He was sold as a slave, then put into prison, and finally stood in front of Pharaoh. That isn’t the ideal path to royalty (from a limited human perspective, anyway), yet it happened to him.

No matter what people do, say, or attempt, God’s plan will always succeed. No one can thwart the Almighty.

His brothers ironically led him on the path that led to their eventual bowing and terror, realizing Joseph’s dreams had come true. Joseph weeps at the goodness of God, because he kept those dreams in his heart for 22 years. He knew God wasn’t a liar, and that ultimately his dreams would come to pass. Psalm 105 says these dreams tested Joseph until his prediction came true.

Some dreams are not able to happen without God stepping in, but those dreams we are in control of still teach us valuable virtues such as patience.

David wasn’t king for over 15 years. Moses had a forty-year waiting period. The world waited 4,000 years for the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.

God isn’t in a hurry. Maybe you need to be forty-five to truly be ready for something.

But your goals have actionable steps to take to achieve them.

We can’t be passive and let life happen to us. We must be ready always to move into the purpose God has called us to.

This might look crazy to the world, or, honestly, to other believers. But who cares what people think? I’m sure Noah looked quite kooky building a boat when it hadn’t rained before. Then a massive flood came and proved him right, vindicating God’s word to the world that judgment was coming for mankind.

Whatever God has gifted you with, I suggest using it to the best of your ability, which might also mean honing that ability into something marketable and professional.

You might not be ready now, but imagine your life in five to ten years.

In my own life, I think my books (even my debut) are of high quality, because I have confidence in my writing ability. But there’s also humility knowing that you can’t do these things on your own. God is the one who gives the gift, and we must never forget Him, no matter how far we go or don’t go.

Having complete trust in Him is what matters. There’s a reason for everything in your life. Trust He has your best interest at heart, and know He gave you those gifts.

If those plans take a decade, then so be it. We must be patient, unlike the fast-paced world that wants everything now.

Let people talk, let people doubt, and continue working on your dreams. Lions don’t care what gazelles think. They simply hunt and do what they do best.

Your job is to fulfill your work with the gifts God has given to you. And, in time, that gift will bless the world.