Together: June 2026 - Magazine - Page 13
into the silence. The truth is, there are some things that simply can9t be
hurried.
The Bible is full of people who had to wait. Abraham waited years for the
son God had promised. Joseph waited in prison before his life took an
unexpected turn. The disciples waited in fear and uncertainty between
Good Friday and Easter morning, unable to imagine what God was
about to do.
I like solutions. I like fixing things. That9s probably one of the reasons I
enjoy my work. There9s something satisfying about diagnosing a
problem, replacing a faulty part and seeing everything working again. It
reminds me that many problems have solutions. In my ministry, being
able to be that ear to listen or shoulder for support, as well as being a
signpost to the Good News of Jesus is both a privilege and pleasure, but
I recognise that some things can9t be sorted immediately.
Life isn9t always like that.
Some things can9t be fixed with the right tool or the right spare part or
even the right words. Sometimes all we can do is wait.
And perhaps that9s where faith begins to grow.
I don9t think God wastes our waiting. We often see waiting as empty
time, as something standing between us and where we9d rather be. But
God sees it differently. Waiting isn9t a pause in life; it is part of life. It9s in
those quieter times, when we can9t control what happens next, that God
is gently shaping our patience, our trust and our character.
As i write this, summer is well and truly here. The bi-fold doors are open
wide and the sun is streaming in. Its made me reflect that its a bit like
watching a garden.
You can water it, tend to it and care for it, but no amount of staring at a
flower will make it bloom any faster. Growth happens quietly, almost
unnoticed, until one day you suddenly realise something beautiful has
appeared.
Faith often grows like that too.
Looking back over my own life, I can see that some of the most
important things God has done didn9t happen quickly. They took time.
Sometimes much longer than I would have chosen. At the time I
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