Part Two: Actively Waiting

I've been meaning to write a follow-up after re-reading my Thursday post (For When You Just Don't Know What To Do) a few times and realizing how desperate I sounded. Nothin' like a little raw emotion & confusion. :) I've been reading, praying, and talking and I've pulled together a few more thoughts -- probably a little more stream-of-consciousness-esque -- to draw some kind of conclusion about this idea of wading through the "unknown."

When you don't know something, the only thing you want at that point, is to know. But simply TRYING or HOPING to know, bring very little progress in actually knowing. We can muster up everything we've got and still end up with nothing. 

No direction. No insight. No clearly laid out path. 

http://www.scoutiegirl.com/2012/07/the-next-right-action.html

I talked on Thursday about being paralyzed in indecision. Essentially, choosing to stay put because I'm too afraid to move ahead in any direction. I want to know not just all options, but the outcome of each, so I can then determine which one is best. I like to make informed decisions. 

Reality is, I want to have every detail figured out so I can avoid making a mistake at any point along the way. 

Pshh. At least is sounds good. 
Wouldn't that be nice?

While that may be the reality of how I wish life worked... it is actually veeeery far from real life. Even when we think we have everything figured out in order to make a wise decision, things always change along the way; something unexpected comes up and we're forced to make room for this new information and change whatever necessary to accommodate the unexpected. It's inevitable. We'd be smart to plan FOR the inevitable, rather than assume that plan A will be carried all the way through.

"All great change is preceded by chaos." - unknown

Change is inevitable. And prior to change, even GREAT change, is oftentimes a mess of chaos. It's okay and good and natural... because life is messy & I don't have it all figured out.

So what does all of this have to do with waiting and not knowing?

Yesterday, as I was again re-reading my last post and trying to make something of it, I thought of the idea of "actively waiting." Purposeful waiting. Intentional waiting. The word "active" implies that the subject is DOING something during the process of waiting... in this case, waiting on the Lord for answers & direction. 

Seasons of waiting are not all about ignoring the questions and hoping that one day you will somehow "just know." I'm not saying that things can't just naturally fall into place, but I am saying that there are some things we can do in the meantime to be intentional about seeking wisdom in order to move forward...

• Pray.
• Ask for wisdom/counsel from others. 
• Journal/process/reflect.
• Refer to God's Word.
• Make a list.
• Sleep on it.
• Gather more information.

There are lots of things to act on in the "waiting" of the unknown...

But even more than all of that... sometimes you just have to move into the unknown, without fully knowing. [Oh brother... now I'm going to have to mull over that thought for a few days and write a part three.] Sometimes moving forward means that you don't have all the answers, you don't know what it's going to look like, but you give it a shot anyways.... all the while trusting that the Spirit of God living in you directs your steps (whether you're aware of it happening or not). 

Whew. There are some more thoughts for ya... thank you Brianna & Sarah for your feedback via facebook on that last post -- your words encouraged my heart this week.