In the Making
Brooke Holley
I write this article at 36 years old. It is a peculiar age, one where some view me as young and inexperienced, while others see me as knowledgeable and having accomplished much. Thinking on this very thing the other day I noted that my husband and I were right in the middle of ages and after this I gasped and said, "Middle aged?! Surely this is not what they mean."
So I quickly asked Google, "What is middle age?" And after reading over several views Google left me with this, "In summary at 35, you're entering a period of significant life stage transition, and while some traditional views place it later, modern perspectives often see it as the beginning of middle age."
Yikes. But, I am so young! How did I get here? Then reality hits as I realize that I will be celebrating my 12th year of marriage this year. My oldest child is 10, my youngest is five, we have purchased two homes, multiple vehicles. I've been at my current job for 11 years. I frequently search the mortgage interest rate and "oh my, this is real."
When I was a teenager, middle aged seemed so distant and I always assumed by the time I knocked at that door most of my questions about life would be answered.
But here I am feeling way too young for Google to label me that, still with goals that I have not met. Dreams for the future and promises from God that I haven't seen come to pass.
When I look at these things in light of my changing season of life, I can almost begin to feel as if I am sitting in God's waiting room, impatiently looking at my watch like my doctor has gotten off schedule. But, I've been here in this waiting room before, and the questions I sat with in my twenties seem less significant to the ones I have today, yet I recognize the feeling has not changed though the decade has.
It's easy for the generations to look at the generation behind them and dismiss their current waiting room. I can look at someone worrying about God's will in their twenties, laugh a little at a season I've already walked through and offer a "Don't worry, you have plenty of time." Or the words that many offer but really do nothing more than echo the very sentiment of a waiting room, "Just wait on Jesus."
"Oh wow! Wait on Jesus, I've never thought of that!" The internal sarcasm wins. Sorry!
But we all wait. And most everyone finds it hard.
A few years ago Bethel released a song called Take Courage. The lyrics are a beautiful anthem and perspective for those who are waiting:
“Take Courage my heart, stay steadfast my soul
He’s in the waiting, He’s in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He’s never failing, He’s never failing”
We cling to that truth in our waiting seasons. We know that He has a plan and that He's never failed us.
As Christians we are taught Jeremiah 29:11 from our youth. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
So if we know He has a plan for our lives, can we also remember that our waiting is intentional? That we are clay on the Potter's wheel being shaped and reformed over and over until the day we meet Him face to face.
Philippians 1:6 says, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Ladies who are in the very start of your lives, full of questions for your future, can I tell you something that would have helped me so long ago? If you are waiting, it is because He is working.
He's still working on you and He's still working for you. Every season, hard or victorious, has its purpose and you are not simply in the waiting; you are "In the Making."
And that's exactly what this new resource will be about. It will be designed with content to help you in the season you live in now and equip you for the seasons you will walk through in the future. We hope you follow along on this journey!