The Way of Waiting

A personal journey of learning kingdom patience.

by Ruhama Assefa

There’s a kind of waiting that transforms you — not just the passing of time but the kind of deep, spiritual waiting that matures your soul. I’ve walked through it. I’ve prayed through it. I’ve cried through it. And through every moment, God was shaping something in me that I now recognize as kingdom patience.

Highs and lows

I was the firstborn daughter in my family, and for as long as I can remember, I longed for a sibling. I would tug on my parents’ hands and say, “I want a baby sister!”

But when I was in second grade, my mom became seriously ill. After surgery and a long recovery, the doctors told her she would never be able to have another child.

It was heartbreaking.

Then a few years later, God did the impossible: My mom became pregnant. The pregnancy was high risk, for her and the baby, and each day felt like walking a tightrope of faith. In her last week, Mom slipped and injured her spine, and we feared the worst.

But God preserved both my mom and the baby. After nine long years of waiting, praying, and believing, I finally held my beautiful baby sister in my arms.

At 17, I dreamed of studying abroad in the US. I worked hard and earned a scholarship. I prayed fervently, fasted, and did all I could to prepare for the student visa interview. I was confident — even excited.

Then came the unexpected rejection. Not once but twice.

I was crushed. I felt abandoned. I had no backup plan and no energy to start something new. But in my quiet time with the Lord, the Holy Spirit whispered something in my heart: “‘No’ is also an answer. Be focused on the kingdom, not just on the world.”

That moment shifted something in me. I began to see my spiritual maturity as no longer looking to God’s hands for what He can give me but looking to His face — because He is enough.

Faith and praise

We often admire biblical figures like Hannah, Abraham, and Jacob for their faith, but what makes them powerful is how they waited. They didn’t wait passively but with tears, prayer, and perseverance. They are like the people Jesus describes who receive the seed of the Word: “But the [seed] that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).

Their example reminded me that patience isn’t the absence of frustration; it’s the presence of faith. It’s not about murmuring or complaining but about trusting God’s perfect timing and giving thanks for what we have, even while hoping for more.

As I grew in my walk with the Lord, I also learned that waiting is not wasted when it’s filled with worship. Paul and Silas praised God in prison — not because they wanted the gates to open but because they knew God was with them. Paul and Silas praised in prison — not because they asked for freedom but because they trusted the One who could give it.

Kingdom patience is an active, faithful surrender. It’s crying and praying like Hannah. It’s enduring like Abraham. It’s wrestling like Jacob. And it’s loving God through the “no” just as fiercely as through the “yes.”

True kingdom patience is about holding on even when things don’t make sense and saying, “Lord, even if You don’t open this door, I still trust You.”

Jesus is the ultimate example of kingdom patience. In Mark 14:60-62 and 15:3-5, we see Him standing in silence, enduring false accusations, betrayal, and unjust suffering. He had every right to speak, every reason to defend Himself. Yet He remained silent. That’s the kind of patience that brings heaven to earth — the patience that trusts God’s plan even when it hurts.

What matters most

I’m 20 now. Young in age, maybe, but old enough in spirit to know that kingdom patience is one of the hardest yet holiest things God can work in us. While it’s about waiting for a promise, it’s also about who you become while you wait in praise and faith. In a world that glorifies instant results, God invites us to a different kind of life — one rooted in faith, endurance, and eternal hope. Because this journey isn’t just about what we gain in this world but about whom we meet at the end of it: the One who is worth the wait.

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Patience in Waiting

Written By

Ruhama Tewodros Assefa is a Christian writer, youth leader, and dental medicine student. With a passion for words birthed from a deep place of worship and intimacy with God, she writes to heal, uplift, and point others to truth. Her journey of faith is deeply rooted in prayer, service, and a desire to see young women walk in identity and godly wisdom. Her article in the July-August issue is her first published piece. Ruhama lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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