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Wait: Thoughts and Practice in Waiting on God
Everyone has endured the endless traffic light, the queue that goes nowhere, the elevator music piped through the phone line. But what of those periods in your life when everything seems on hold? When you can't do the next thing in your professional or personal life because you can't get to it? Waiting—be it for health, a life partner, a child, a job—can be an agony, and hope can be exhausting. A firm no in response to the thing you're waiting for might be easier than this constant lack of closure. But what if waiting means something more? Rather than pure idleness, our prolonged state of need might teach us to look beyond the desired goal to something infinitely better. We find lessons on this throughout the Bible and, if we are paying attention, in our own lives. Rather than fostering frustration, periods of waiting might have great truths to tell us. It might show us that hope is worthwhile. Waiting might even be a gift in and of itself.
- GenresChristian LivingTheology
180 pages, Paperback
Published June 4, 2019
6 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Brewster Stevenson
4 books159 followersTo connect with Rebecca, visit her substack rstevenson.substack.com or follow her on Instagram @rebeccabrewsterstevenson. Follow her here on Goodreads.
Rebecca Brewster Stevenson is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has a master's degree from Duke University and has lived in Durham, North Carolina for over 20 years with her husband and three children.
"Rebecca Brewster Stevenson's writing is consistently powerful, complex, honest, and hopeful" (Andy Crouch, author, Culture Making and The Tech-Wise Family). Rebecca's writing has also been called "exquisite" (Stephen Chbosky), "thought-provoking" (Barbara Claypole White), and "gorgeous" (Kirkus Reviews).
Rebecca Brewster Stevenson is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has a master's degree from Duke University and has lived in Durham, North Carolina for over 20 years with her husband and three children.
"Rebecca Brewster Stevenson's writing is consistently powerful, complex, honest, and hopeful" (Andy Crouch, author, Culture Making and The Tech-Wise Family). Rebecca's writing has also been called "exquisite" (Stephen Chbosky), "thought-provoking" (Barbara Claypole White), and "gorgeous" (Kirkus Reviews).
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 22, 2019
3 stars. There was some beautiful writing and great Biblical deconstructing. The author is skilled at writing Biblical narrative, but the novel lacks in a lot of major ways. Review to come.
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April 15, 2020Perfect reading for this time of waiting. Waiting on God and His message of hope!
July 8, 2023
3.5 ⭐
The book is a reminder of how to be faithful while waiting on God. The author shares her experience of bankruptcy and financial need which finally brought her a better understanding on the posture of the soul that needs an answer from God.
My main takeaway is that we mustn't have expectations of how God should particularly work, but rather adopt an attitude of expectancy, based on the character of God, who's will is perfect, wise and good.
I deeply enjoyed the poetry quotations, but was quite annoyed by the imaginative retellings of the Bible narratives.
The book is a reminder of how to be faithful while waiting on God. The author shares her experience of bankruptcy and financial need which finally brought her a better understanding on the posture of the soul that needs an answer from God.
My main takeaway is that we mustn't have expectations of how God should particularly work, but rather adopt an attitude of expectancy, based on the character of God, who's will is perfect, wise and good.
I deeply enjoyed the poetry quotations, but was quite annoyed by the imaginative retellings of the Bible narratives.
April 9, 2020
The perfect paper companion for a time in exile. That’s a strong four stars, mind you.
July 14, 2019
Stevenson weaves personal narrative with ancient Scripture in a way that helps us better understand both ourselves and the God who would have us wait. Stevenson opens as a child waiting for a train in Japan but soon brings us with her as she waits on a child. But the centerpiece of her personal waiting is her family's decades-long struggle with steady employment and income, something that came as a shock to them and baffled them as it dragged on.
Stevenson's vulnerability, coupled with her gorgeous writing, draw us in as we find in her an honest companion and one we can relate to, whatever it is we are waiting for. We find her living room as she shakes her fists at God and reminds him that, while he surely provides for all of her eternal and deep needs, "We live here!" She lets us in on the painful night her husband tells her they need to file for bankruptcy. She details the trauma of leaving behind shopping carts of food when the money ran out. And in all this she is humble enough to note that her waiting might appear easy next to the waiting of another. But she points to the common thread of waiting in each of our lives. She argues, successfully I think, that each of us are waiting on something. And she digs into her own experience and pain, alongside the waiting she finds in Scripture, to hand us nuggets of wisdom - pure gold, though her humble subtitle calls them "thoughts."
This is a book written by a Christian primarily for Christians, but it would be accessible to someone with no knowledge of the Bible. Stevenson narrates each story from Scripture in a way that assumes we do not already know it and in fact feels brand new to those of us who may have ready it 1000 times. Her literary skill and training is evident in the way she understands and then retells these stories. The book would be worth reading if only for that (though it has so much more)!
The crux of the book is that our waiting teaches us to keep our eyes and our trust on the one who provides so that the hoped-for outcome of our waiting no longer becomes our desire so much as the relationship with the One for whom we wait. We yearn for something on the other side of the wait but could instead learn to see the One who provides time after time, who is, in fact, All Provision (p. 81).
Finally, a few favorite quotes:
"And now we are getting somewhere in terms of understanding our expectations. When we say that we just want to get through - to learn - whatever it is we are supposed to learn, then we are no longer looking expectantly towards the living God, but instead towards an outcome. We want to learn and get past this. We want to check this life-lesson off the list. We want to flip the page of the workbook, get to the next academic level. We reduce God to a curriculum, one we are working through and one in which we are, at this point, having some significant trouble. But God is not a curriculum; he is a person. (pp. 54-55).
"Like expectation, expectancy is hopeful, but it is less fixed. It doesn't name its outcome, and for that reason it is far more liberating." (p.74)
"In truth, all provision spoken of in scripture is a metaphor, because all provision is Christ." (p.81)
Stevenson's vulnerability, coupled with her gorgeous writing, draw us in as we find in her an honest companion and one we can relate to, whatever it is we are waiting for. We find her living room as she shakes her fists at God and reminds him that, while he surely provides for all of her eternal and deep needs, "We live here!" She lets us in on the painful night her husband tells her they need to file for bankruptcy. She details the trauma of leaving behind shopping carts of food when the money ran out. And in all this she is humble enough to note that her waiting might appear easy next to the waiting of another. But she points to the common thread of waiting in each of our lives. She argues, successfully I think, that each of us are waiting on something. And she digs into her own experience and pain, alongside the waiting she finds in Scripture, to hand us nuggets of wisdom - pure gold, though her humble subtitle calls them "thoughts."
This is a book written by a Christian primarily for Christians, but it would be accessible to someone with no knowledge of the Bible. Stevenson narrates each story from Scripture in a way that assumes we do not already know it and in fact feels brand new to those of us who may have ready it 1000 times. Her literary skill and training is evident in the way she understands and then retells these stories. The book would be worth reading if only for that (though it has so much more)!
The crux of the book is that our waiting teaches us to keep our eyes and our trust on the one who provides so that the hoped-for outcome of our waiting no longer becomes our desire so much as the relationship with the One for whom we wait. We yearn for something on the other side of the wait but could instead learn to see the One who provides time after time, who is, in fact, All Provision (p. 81).
Finally, a few favorite quotes:
"And now we are getting somewhere in terms of understanding our expectations. When we say that we just want to get through - to learn - whatever it is we are supposed to learn, then we are no longer looking expectantly towards the living God, but instead towards an outcome. We want to learn and get past this. We want to check this life-lesson off the list. We want to flip the page of the workbook, get to the next academic level. We reduce God to a curriculum, one we are working through and one in which we are, at this point, having some significant trouble. But God is not a curriculum; he is a person. (pp. 54-55).
"Like expectation, expectancy is hopeful, but it is less fixed. It doesn't name its outcome, and for that reason it is far more liberating." (p.74)
"In truth, all provision spoken of in scripture is a metaphor, because all provision is Christ." (p.81)
August 28, 2020
A humble, vulnerable, yet beautiful meditative contribution to understanding God, and humanity's limitations. Stevenson is skilled in biblical narrative and weaving key scripture and stories seamlessly with her personal reflections and experiences, to remind readers our loving Father is the real deal. He is real, He is love, and He is working. He is greater than our losses, greater than our successes. He deserves all the praise, all the time. He is so so GOOD.
Of course, all of us have experienced a form of waiting, but especially in these trying times, waiting has become a large part of our lives (for some of us). However exhausting, maddening it may seem, we can find total peace and joy when we trust in the One whose timing is perfect, and knows what is best for us. I am grateful for my current season of waiting, which allows me the opportunity to trust and delight in Him more and more and count on myself less and less. For when our trust is in Him, and not ourselves and our own abilities, we no longer wait or expect a certain outcome, but ultimately we begin to desire the Lord who is our LIFE. The Lord who is ALL PROVISION.
Of course, all of us have experienced a form of waiting, but especially in these trying times, waiting has become a large part of our lives (for some of us). However exhausting, maddening it may seem, we can find total peace and joy when we trust in the One whose timing is perfect, and knows what is best for us. I am grateful for my current season of waiting, which allows me the opportunity to trust and delight in Him more and more and count on myself less and less. For when our trust is in Him, and not ourselves and our own abilities, we no longer wait or expect a certain outcome, but ultimately we begin to desire the Lord who is our LIFE. The Lord who is ALL PROVISION.
September 1, 2019
“Wait” by Rebecca Brewster Stevenson was a wonderful read! Rebecca is full of wisdom beyond her years. She shares scriptures/Bible stories and how they relate to waiting. She also shares about her own personal life and how she has had to wait. I like when an author does this because it shows that they really know what they’re writing about! This also helps me relate more to her. Waiting is something that is very hard for a lot of people, especially me. There was a lot of valuable tidbits of information in this book that I definitely will hold on to!
One of my favorite quotes from her is, “Praise is verbalized trust. It’s the other side of asking. It’s thanking God in advance for His answers, no matter what it is, because our confidence is in who He is and the goodness-again, no matter what- of what He will do.”
I highly recommend this book to everyone. I think it is definitely worth the read!
I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for my honest opinion.
One of my favorite quotes from her is, “Praise is verbalized trust. It’s the other side of asking. It’s thanking God in advance for His answers, no matter what it is, because our confidence is in who He is and the goodness-again, no matter what- of what He will do.”
I highly recommend this book to everyone. I think it is definitely worth the read!
I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for my honest opinion.
June 8, 2019
You know those few special books you keep going back to read again and again? The ones that transform your thinking. This is going to be one of those books.
“WAIT” continues to bring my need for change to the forefront of my daily thoughts. Change in my heart and outlook. Change in how I view God and change in how I see my role as a believer in Christ. “WAIT” is teaching me that waiting on His answer has a lot more to do with holding onto a true understanding of our loving God than on anything else I think or do.
"Let the reason you are waiting not be the thing you are waiting for. Let the reason be him." Stevenson, WAIT.
Just add this book to your cart now.
“WAIT” continues to bring my need for change to the forefront of my daily thoughts. Change in my heart and outlook. Change in how I view God and change in how I see my role as a believer in Christ. “WAIT” is teaching me that waiting on His answer has a lot more to do with holding onto a true understanding of our loving God than on anything else I think or do.
"Let the reason you are waiting not be the thing you are waiting for. Let the reason be him." Stevenson, WAIT.
Just add this book to your cart now.
October 29, 2020
What a beautifully written book that invites the reader to enter into the journey of waiting on God with expectancy and joy even in the midst of trials and suffering. Weaving together personal testimonials of waiting along with poetry and scripture, Stevenson beautifully and accurately describes the frustrations that can hinder faith, and helps to bring an eternal perspective to the earthly challenges of life.
Her way of re-telling a Biblical narrative and making it come alive with warmth and humor and bringing light to heart of each human encounter with the Living and Loving God is marvelous!
I am so thankful that a mutual friend recommended this book!
Her way of re-telling a Biblical narrative and making it come alive with warmth and humor and bringing light to heart of each human encounter with the Living and Loving God is marvelous!
I am so thankful that a mutual friend recommended this book!
February 15, 2022
The title of this book really caught my attention but the content around waiting on the Lord really hit a chord in my heart that needed some fine tuning.
This book brought encouragement in waiting on the Lord but it also brought conviction in my own heart of the roots of impatience.
Wait, the four letter curse word in our society, turned out to be the spiritual chiropractic adjustment to my spine, realigning me to trust in God’s timing and humbled me back to praising Him regardless of my circumstances. God surely knows what He is doing while we wait with Him.
I would read this again and again as a great reminder of waiting well with Jesus.
This book brought encouragement in waiting on the Lord but it also brought conviction in my own heart of the roots of impatience.
Wait, the four letter curse word in our society, turned out to be the spiritual chiropractic adjustment to my spine, realigning me to trust in God’s timing and humbled me back to praising Him regardless of my circumstances. God surely knows what He is doing while we wait with Him.
I would read this again and again as a great reminder of waiting well with Jesus.
June 10, 2019
"While you are waiting, watch for Him. He is coming, and He is already there." - RBS
Waiting is as difficult to understand as it is to experience, and Stevenson does a masterful job of taking us through the process step-by-step. This book is just beautiful. Stevenson's retelling of biblical narratives brings each one to life; transporting the reader from the printed page to the bustling throngs surrounding Jesus, to the shores of Lake Galilee. Using personal experience, Scripture, and poetry, she encourages us to "lift our gaze above that thing we are waiting for." Stevenson is a gifted wordsmith and a talented storyteller who does not disappoint. A compact but compelling (and hope-instilling) read for anyone who struggles to wait.
Waiting is as difficult to understand as it is to experience, and Stevenson does a masterful job of taking us through the process step-by-step. This book is just beautiful. Stevenson's retelling of biblical narratives brings each one to life; transporting the reader from the printed page to the bustling throngs surrounding Jesus, to the shores of Lake Galilee. Using personal experience, Scripture, and poetry, she encourages us to "lift our gaze above that thing we are waiting for." Stevenson is a gifted wordsmith and a talented storyteller who does not disappoint. A compact but compelling (and hope-instilling) read for anyone who struggles to wait.
December 6, 2020
Not sure how I missed this when it released but I really enjoyed it. Brewster is an excellent writer and weaves together an encouraging exploration of what it means to let go of control and wait on God. Far too often, Christian writers resort to cliches or platitudes when talking about this but Brewster avoids these pitfalls. Quick read.
May 26, 2021
At some times tough words to read, but always delivered with the most grace. Not to mention, her writing is exquisite! As an English teacher and word nerd, I marveled at her craft. Wonderfully encouraging book but also challenging.
November 11, 2024
Author does a good job of explaining the patience and reliance on God she and her family worked on during some stuff that happened to them. It just wasn't as inspirational as I had hoped based on reviews. Little tidbits, though.
June 27, 2019
A beautifully written reflection on waiting that weaves together Scripture, poetry, and the author's personal story. I found the chapters on home/exile and expectation/expectancy especially helpful.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews