How to Trust God’s Timing When Waiting Feels Hard
Most of us walk into marriage or motherhood with a picture-perfect idea of how life will look, especially when it comes to trusting God’s timing. We dream up scenes of sweet morning coffee chats, well-behaved kids, organized homes, and spouses who instinctively know exactly what we need.
And then real life shows up.
Real life looks a whole lot more like mismatched socks, cold coffee, learning curves, and waiting seasons that stretch our patience and test our faith. Trusting God’s timing when waiting feels hard sounds beautiful in theory—but living it out? Whew. That’s where the real work begins.
If I’ve learned anything through marriage and motherhood, it’s that God’s rhythms rarely look like mine. And yet, when I lean into His timing instead of fighting against it, I find something I didn’t even know I was desperate for: peace.
Learning to Grow Together in Marriage
Learning to trust God’s timing when waiting feels hard was a lesson my husband and I learned early in our marriage. I could tell you story after story about our beginnings in marriage. We were so excited to have our own home and officially say we were married. But that second year? That’s when the rubber met the road.
That’s when we began to realize just how stubborn we both were. How each of us had our own ways of doing things and neither of us wanted to budge. It made for a huge mess.
We were both just plain stubborn. And we were convinced that our way was the right way.
How we did finances? Different. How we cleaned? Different. Where we put things away? Completely different.
But here’s what changed everything—when we finally set our minds to doing things God’s way, that’s when things began to shift. We started setting our selfishness (yes, that’s what it really was) aside and realized if we wanted this marriage to work, both of us would need to take a step back, reevaluate, and let God work through us.
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” — Ecclesiastes 4:12
We were two young kids from completely different backgrounds, trying to come together and create something brand new. And it wasn’t easy. But every time we invited God to be front and center, we were able to navigate those learning curves with a little more grace and a lot more patience.
Trusting God’s Timing in Motherhood
Fast forward a few years and God threw us another curveball. After over five years of marriage, God called us to move to another state to pastor a small home missions church.
We left everything we knew — our family, our comfort zone, and all the plans I thought I had perfectly laid out. Moving 13 hours away with no jobs lined up and no house waiting for us was one of the scariest steps of faith we had ever taken.
But I firmly believe that our obedience in that season opened the door for our first miracle. After ten years of marriage—and after being told we would never have children—we held our first baby in our arms. Trusting God’s timing when waiting feels hard wasn’t just a lesson anymore—it became our testimony.
Years later, after returning home to pastor once again (this time with a home but still no job), God blessed us with our second miracle—a baby boy born a day before our 18th anniversary. Another beautiful reminder that God’s blessings often follow obedience.
But in between those miracles came heartbreak.
At year 14 of marriage, we lost our second child at 21 weeks. And can I just be honest? I wrestled hard with God through that grief. Why? I still don’t know. But even in the middle of all my questions and heartache, I knew one thing for sure—God is faithful.
“He makes everything beautiful in its time.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11
Finding Contentment While Trusting God’s Timing
And let me tell you — trusting God’s timing when waiting feels hard becomes a whole lot harder when we’re frustrated and discontent in the waiting. Learning to be content right where we are, even when life feels messy or uncertain, has been a lesson God keeps bringing me back to over and over again.
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” — Philippians 4:11
That’s exactly why I wrote this post: How to Be Content in Every Season: 10 Biblical Steps to Learn Peace. Because contentment isn’t about settling — it’s about trusting. Trusting that God knows what He’s doing. Trusting that His timing is best. And trusting that even in the wait, He is working.
And if you want to go even deeper in building a Christ-centered home (especially when life feels chaotic), this post might encourage you too: How to Build a Christ-Centered Home (Even When Life Gets Messy).
3 Practical Ways to Trust God’s Timing in Marriage & Motherhood
- Pray first, react second. Before the words fly or frustration rises, pause. Whisper a prayer. Let God guide your response.
- Look for the lesson, not the deadline. Waiting seasons are often growth seasons. Ask God what He’s teaching you instead of focusing on when it will be over.
- Give yourself and others grace. Nobody gets it right all the time. Marriage and motherhood are both full of learning curves. Be patient with yourself and the people you love.
Keep Trusting When the Wait Feels Long
Friend, I don’t know what season you’re walking through right now. Maybe you’re in the middle of learning new rhythms with your spouse. Maybe motherhood feels a little chaotic. Or maybe you’re waiting for a promise to come to pass.
Whatever it is, I want to remind you of this:
God’s not in a hurry. He’s not caught off guard by your timeline. And He’s certainly not finished writing your story.
His timing grows us, shapes us, and leads us closer to Him. So take a deep breath, sweet friend. Trust His heart. Trust His plan. And keep walking in step with His beautiful, grace-filled rhythm—even when waiting feels hard.
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” — Lamentations 3:25
Looking for more encouragement for your everyday chaos? Grab my free 5-Day Devotional for Women Who Do It All right here!
Want to read more of our story? Here are a few posts you might love:
- We’re Just Friends — Our Love Story
- A Tangible Miracle
- A Tangible Miracle 2
- The Pain of Unanswered Prayers
Stay Rooted When Life Feels Chaotic
Because you weren’t meant to do it all alone
In the middle of marriage, motherhood, ministry, and everything else on your plate, Stay Rooted offers a breath of encouragement when you need it most. These occasional emails are full of faith-filled reminders, relatable stories, and a little humor to keep you grounded in what matters most—even when life feels anything but calm.
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