Why Is “It” Taking So Long?

When the time is right, it will happen. 

Have you ever had the feeling of sitting in the waiting room of life, staring at the clock, wondering when “it” will finally happen? That opportunity. That relationship. That breakthrough. That answered prayer. And as time drags on, the question rises again: "Why is it taking so long?" But maybe the better question is: "What is this delay trying to teach me and am I actually listening, or just impatiently waiting?"

In our culture of quick results and overnight success stories, we don’t talk enough about readiness. The truth is, if someone isn’t ready (emotionally, mentally, spiritually), there is no amount of planning, pushing, or positive thinking that will change that. God’s timing isn’t about punishment. It’s about preparation.

Sometimes, what we see as a delay is actually a divine pause or necessary pitstop. An intentional setup to protects us, to matures us. A pause that makes sure the blessing doesn’t arrive before we’ve built the character to sustain it. God knows He wants a good return on His investment so He is not moved by our impatience in the least.

The pause is probably frustrating. But I believe it’s forcing the growth I would’ve otherwise skipped. Waiting, especially in silence, is hard. It feels like being forgotten. But let me tell you something. In a world where there is so much noise and things vying for our attention, that silence is sacred. That’s where wisdom whispers, where peace whispers, where guidance whispers.

In Get Serious and Other Principles to Pull You Through, there’s a chapter called “What’s Mine Is Mine.” I wrote: “Whatever God has in store for you has your name on it. Keep doing the right thing and know that He is working everything for your good (Romans 8:28)—including the hills and the valleys in your life.” That truth has anchored me more times than I can count, because when things feel slow or stalled, I remember: What’s mine won’t miss me. And what’s not mine, I don’t want anyway.

Patience is definitely a virtue and an act of love. The Bible defines love as “patient” and “long-suffering” which means love waits even when there’s no visible sign of progress. It also means that love may know something we don't. And that is, that fortitude is being built through our endurance.

So what should we do in the waiting? Persevere. Trust the process. Keep planting seeds, knowing that in the right season, when we are ready, they’ll grow.

And remember this: the valley has as much purpose as the mountaintop. The waiting room is an active space where strength is built, perspective is shaped and hearts/motives are refined.

Nugget of Truth:

When the time is right, it will happen. Keep showing up. Keep doing the right thing. What’s meant for you is already marked with your name. Trust the process and the One writing your story.