Merriam-Webster defines the verb to wait – to stay in a place of expectation.

One of my favorite scriptures growing up as a young believer was Isaiah 40:30-31. “Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

I don’t think I fully understood the meaning of this verse, but when I read it, I knew it gave me hope.

Even at a young age, I was often tired, which frustrated me. Much of it came from the work it took for me to listen with my hearing loss. It takes a lot of work to try to understand what people are saying, and very few I knew used sign language. I also was pretty low on iron and anemia.

As I grew, God showed me another reason I was tired. I carried everything. I carried my own hurts, as well as other people’s. I carried my own baggage and stuff, and I would often carry other people’s baggage and stuff. I consistently tried to live life in my own strength instead of in God’s strength.

Much of life has felt like waiting for me, and now I am in another waiting time as I wait for my books to fully show up and for the official day that this book will go out into the world.

Tweet

It is an exciting time!!

As I learn to live in God’s strength and not my own, I have to bring these things to Him daily. I have to surrender my plans, thoughts, and desires for the day to Jesus, asking Him to direct my steps the way He wants.

I have to rest in Him when I want to jump up and do what I think the next best thing to do is, and yet He is saying to wait.

I have to be content at the end of the day with what got done and what didn’t get done.

This is all very flesh-dying to me, yet it strengthens and encourages my spirit when I see that I didn’t get stuck in the frustrations and anxieties that I usually do.

There is a lot that happens during the waiting time. There are graphics to make, a book launch to prepare for, marketing to do, and sharing with family and friends. There are blogs to write, podcasters to talk to, and social media platforms to build.

There is ministry to be a part of, relationships to pour into, and life responsibilities to stay attentive to.

God is also calling me to times of rest in between, times to sit and allow Him to fill me and strengthen me so I can do what He is calling me to do. There are moments where I need to let go of all the doing a BE with my Heavenly Father so I can release all that I am carrying to Him.

It is beautiful and without it, I can’t do anything.

I am incredibly excited to get the book to all of you! The publish date has been moved to August 20th. Pre-orders are happening now. So grab one at Barnes and Noble; https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/created-to-relate-desiree-taylor/1145379720?ean=9781956370447, Books a Million; https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Created-Relate/Desiree-Taylor/9781956370447?id=9158566983639; Target; https://www.target.com/p/created-to-relate-by-desiree-taylor-paperback/-/A-91844571#lnk=sametab; Thriftbooks; https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/created-to-relate-living-beyond-religion_desiree-taylor/52715773/?resultid=72a3fc8b-de73-41e3-8260-93b32ee3960e#edition=71258297&idiq=64102693; or Amazon; https://www.amazon.com/?tag=amazusnavi-20&hvadid=675149237887&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5941877105514817712&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002231&hvtargid=kwd-10573980&ref=pd_sl_7j18redljs_e&hydadcr=28883_14649097&gad_source=1, and it will be on my website soon!!

The online book launch will run from July 23rd to September 3rd. If you want more information on how you can participate, email me at desiree@arenewedcreation.com. If you are on social media and like sharing, please share the graphics about the book. Just tag me when you do that so I can see it and acknowledge it! If you like the book, encourage others to buy it or give one as a gift. Most importantly, please be praying that this message gets to those who need it and that God breaks those religious strongholds and leads people into a true and authentic relationship with Jesus!

Waiting can be hard and cause us to grow weary, but when we wait, staying in expectation of the Lord and all He will do, it changes our attitude about and during our waiting times. It strengthens us and helps us to keep going even when we don’t want to or don’t feel like we have the strength to keep going.

If you are in a waiting season and need some prayer, please reach out! Please pray for me in my waiting season, and thank you for being friends to me in mine!