Impatient with God's Timing

I was reminded this week of how easily I get impatient with God's timing for things. I want things to happen when I want them to. I don't wait very patiently when they don't.

I definitely notice that when it comes to people and things I'm praying for in their lives that are God's will. Yet, I keep praying and nothing seems to be happening. Day after day, week after week, sometimes month after month and year after year, and my prayers don't seem to be changing anything.

And I get impatient. I get frustrated. I want to give up on praying for what I'm praying for to happen.

It seems like I get to the point where I'm ready to give up is the moment when I finally see God at work - in the way I expected and was praying for, or in a way I never would have imagined when I started praying. The signs that what I've been praying for is finally starting to happen.

Then I'm confessing my impatience to God. Asking for His forgiveness for my lack of trust in His timing.

I go back to praying for things with a renewed commitment and belief that God is at work. At least until the next time I get impatient with waiting for God's timing. Hopefully, each time I get a little less impatient in the waiting.

It's a cycle I've repeated many times in my walk with God. And every time, when I see what God had planned to do, I wonder why I got impatient again.

We wish God operated according to our timetable. We want Him to do it when we want Him to. But God asks us to trust Him with the outcome and to wait for His plan to happen according to His will.

I think this is a lesson, I might spend my entire life learning. My human thoughts and wishes get in the way often. But, I hope that over time, I learn to wait better for God's timing and not get so impatient with the wait.

How do you do at waiting for God's timing? Do you get impatient when things don't happen when you want? Are you learning to wait better for God's perfect timing for things?