I am so, so happy to be hosting Mary Geisen today. Some of you know her as the #TellHisStory hostess with the ‘mostess’ up until last month. I know her as a deep-thinker, deep-feeler, pursuer of God, and a friend. Many of her blog posts have inspired me, challenged me, and encouraged me. I am excited to share her words and thoughts on this, her book-release day for The Advent Narrative. You can find purchasing information at the bottom of this post. And I’ll tell you now, this book is really opening up my understanding of Advent. Please help me welcome, Mary Geisen!

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Waiting Well title copy
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By Mary Geisen

Standing in line at the grocery store recently I found myself wondering how it’s even possible in our hurry-up world to stand in line for anything. I’m the first person to claim the desires of my heart as soon as they come available. The thought is that we “deserve” whatever it is we are claiming, and we shouldn’t have to wait for it. So, what does waiting well in any season look like?

gratitude little things autumn path
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If you are even somewhat aware of what is happening in our world, you must feel the tension that results from each person striving for what they want. Many times, this happens at the expense of others. We have lost the fine art of waiting well in any season. We hang our hope on the latest and greatest. When things don’t go our way, we fight back. We lack the hope and peace that should accompany any season of waiting. It doesn’t have to look like this. God is willing to show us in the middle seasons of challenge and waiting how to hold onto Him for all we need.

Waiting in the Wilderness

There is a both/and feeling when living in a season of waiting. There is the thought that you just want the wait to be over quickly. As hard as it is to walk through the wilderness, these are the times I have learned the most and grown deeper in my faith. 

Waiting Well in any Season … and Book Release Day!—As hard as it is to walk through the wilderness, these are the times I have learned the most and grown deeper in my faith @JeanneTakenaka @MaryGeisen #waiting #trusting Click To Tweet
Waiting Well AN quote
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If I had to describe wilderness living, this is what I would say:

“You are HERE, wherever HERE is. You see days stretching out before you and the days that are long gone, but you find that something is missing in your here and now. Today looks like yesterday and will probably look just like tomorrow. Routine becomes the norm but somehow a piece of you tries to grab onto the elusive thing that is just out of reach. Daily thoughts hover on the edge of believing there is more, but life weighs you down with the thought of trying to make it through. This is the wilderness. The place where we have the chance to leave the biggest footprint in our lives and the lives of others. This is where we meet God and find out He has been with us all along. This is wilderness living. And this is our Advent life.” 

The Advent Narrative

How do you wait well when every day looks like the one before in the wilderness? What do you do to maintain a forward motion when the end seems so far away?

Waiting well autumn pathway copy
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What Does It Mean to Wait Well?

Maybe you believe that if you answer the question above about waiting well, you have hit the million-dollar jackpot. It has taken me years of walking through my own wilderness seasons to gain a framework for walking through this season with some semblance of peace. Think of the Israelites and their forty years of wandering in the desert. The one component that was always available was the presence of God. Every. Single. Day!

What if, like the Israelites, our circumstances never get better. It’s easy to grumble when things don’t go as planned. But grumbling about your circumstances will not help you get to the other side of the wilderness.

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It’s knowing that the Advent life is not a dead-end but a journey with God toward deeper knowledge and relationship with Him. @JeanneTakenaka @MaryGeisen #waiting #TellHisStory Click To Tweet

I complained, pushed back, and stayed stuck more times than I care to remember. Thankfully, God has more patience and more strength to pull me through when I try to dig in my heels. He taught me that:

He is unshakable, unstoppable, always forgiving, full of grace, prepared to invite us to kingdom living even when we think we are not good enough.

The way out of the desert is the “yes” we proclaim to God in answer to the hardships we face along the way.

It’s knowing that the Advent life is not a dead-end but a journey with God toward deeper knowledge and relationship with Him.

It’s believing that God is working behind the scenes in our hearts, minds, and souls even when we feel caught in a holding pattern. And, God glorifies the journey when we remain open to receiving His grace and love.

What about you? What defines “waiting well” to you? What is one thing you learned about God in a wilderness season?

Advent Narrative cover

Join the Journey!

Today you can accept the invitation to discover the Advent life for yourself. The journey of how your story began, the times of wilderness living, and the arrival when Jesus comes again. All are wrapped up in the Hope of Jesus.

Buy your copy of The Advent Narrative: The Life You Didn’t Know You Were Already Living today on Amazon. Click HERE

Mary Geisen headshot copy

Mary Geisen is the author of Brave Faith: A 31 Day Devotional Journey. She is a blogger, a speaker, a lover of coffee and deep, soul-filled conversations. Her greatest joys are her roles as a mom, mother-in-love, and Mimi.  As a writer and follower of Jesus, God has led her through wilderness seasons, taught her how to walk in brave faith, and has drawn her into closer relationship with Him. Mary wants to live in a way that others are empowered to walk in brave faith through their own in-between, middle seasons of life.

This week, I’m linking up with Grace and Truth#RaRaLinkup, and #Instaencouragements. Come join and read more encouraging posts!

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