“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8 (NIV)

When my third child was born, my oldest was three. And they were all active boys!

My husband and I were outnumbered and my life was completely up-ended. For the next three years I couldn’t even go shopping at Target by myself with the kids. While one raced down the aisle, the toddler climbed out of the cart. Meanwhile, the baby, who disliked being confined from the moment of his birth, screamed! I was a mess! I felt like climbing over the cart and racing down the aisle screaming myself.

In those difficult three years I kept trying to regain my old life. An organizer and leader by nature, I’d volunteer to oversee something at church and then make my kids and me miserable trying to get it done. My heart is heavy when I remember the times I dragged my three little boys to one event or another, only to leave angry and in tears because they couldn’t sit still.

Instead of accepting my life as it was, I plowed ahead, wanting to serve God and feeling certain He was pleased with my sacrifices. The problem was that my innocent children made the real sacrifice by enduring my non-stop lifestyle. I wish with all my heart that someone had taken me out to coffee and helped me get some perspective. I was too blind to see.

What I know now is that sometimes God calls us to a new mission field that on the surface looks like we’ve been called out of the “game.” But nothing could be further from the truth! Those three years I was afraid to stop pursuing my goals in case an opportunity might pass me by. Instead I missed the opportunity to minister more deeply to my children passed me by.

Second Peter 3:8 says, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (NIV). Although this verse is speaking about the Lord’s return, I believe it can be applied to any time of “waiting.” God doesn’t see time as we do. Three years seems like an eternity, when it’s really just a breath in time. The first part of verse 9 offers hope to those who think opportunities are passing them by and God has forgotten them: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.”

I wish someone had told me that God would not forget me, that I was right where He wanted me, and that I should relax and see the opportunities He had placed in front of me. Even though my days felt like years, they really were just a blink. At least, that’s what I know now …

Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your faithfulness. No matter what my circumstances look like to me, I know You have not forgotten me. Help me to see Your hand in every moment of my day, and to look for ways to serve You and those around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Related Resources:

The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained by Lysa TerKeurst

The Character of God: Understanding His Heart for Us by Brian T. Anderson and Glynnis Whitwer

His Princess, Love Letters from Your King by Sherri Rose Shepherd

Application Steps:

Identify an area of your life that seems to be put on hold. Instead of rebelling against, ask God what He wants you to learn from it.

Reflections:

What are some of the lies women believe when it looks like God has put their dreams on hold?

If you are in a “holding pattern,” list three reasons to be thankful in the midst of your current situation.

Then, list three ways you can grow spiritually in that same situation.

Power Verses:

Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.” (NIV)

Luke 12:6, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.” (NIV)

Genesis 9:16, “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (NIV)