When the Clock Doesn't Tick – A Story of Waiting and Faith
Marie stared at the teacup in her hand, its rim chipped just slightly. It had belonged to her grandmother—an old porcelain cup with bluebirds painted across the side. It was fragile, but it had endured.
Just like her.
She exhaled, slow and tired. The room was quiet. Too quiet. For the hundredth time that week, she looked at her phone and refreshed her email. Nothing. Again.
Her job interview — one she thought had gone so well — was now weeks behind her. Each day stretched like taffy, thin and uncertain. Every morning, she rose with new resolve, only to end the day with the same haunting silence. No updates. No callbacks. Just... waiting.
It wasn’t just the job. Her whole life felt like it was on pause. Her closest friends were getting married, starting families, moving on. She was still here — still praying, still journaling, still trying to keep the flame of hope alive.
A Whisper in the Stillness
One evening, Marie sat by the window. A thunderstorm loomed in the distance. Raindrops traced lazy lines down the glass.
“God,” she whispered, “are You there in this waiting?”
She wasn’t angry. She just felt hollow.
She reached for her Bible and opened to a page marked with a faded bookmark. It fell to Habakkuk 2:3:
“Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
Tears welled in her eyes. How many times had she skipped over that verse? But now, in the hush of her own long delay, it spoke.
She began to write. A prayer for strength and faith. A prayer for faith and hope. Not for an answer—just for the courage to keep hoping in the waiting.
The Story Behind the Bakery Window
The next day, Marie went for a walk. Her feet led her to a part of town she hadn’t visited in months. As she passed the corner bakery, through the window she noticed a little boy staring, hands pressed against the display glass.
Inside sat a chocolate cake with strawberries on top.
“He’s been saving up for one like that,” said an older man nearby, who looked like the boy’s grandfather. “We come here every Saturday to take a look. Next week’s the day.”
Marie smiled.
“That’s a long time to wait,” she said.
The man nodded. “He’s learning patience. And that sometimes, waiting makes the joy even sweeter.”
She blinked. That’s what her faith felt like these days—pressing her nose to the glass of life, hoping something beautiful would eventually come.
Seeds in the Soil
Back home, Marie poured herself a cup of tea in the chipped bluebird cup. She stared out the window, watching a neighbor kneel in her garden. The woman’s hands were covered in dirt as she pressed tiny seeds into the soil.
Marie knew it would take weeks, maybe months, before anything bloomed.
But the woman planted anyway.
That was it, wasn’t it? Faith was like gardening. You pray. You plant. You water. You wait. The growth is hidden for a while, and then—one day when you least expect—it bursts through the soil.
That night, Marie wrote in her journal:
“Lord, teach me to wait like the gardener. Quiet. Faithful. Trusting in what I can’t yet see.”
When the Answer Came
The email came on a Tuesday morning.
The subject line: We’d love to have you join our team.
Marie gasped. After weeks of silence, it finally arrived. But the tears that filled her eyes weren’t just from the news—they were from the weeks that came before. The waiting had carved out space in her soul. Space for faith. Space for growth. Space for something sacred.
She had grown in ways no immediate “yes” could have taught her.
Waiting Is Not Wasted
Marie's story is not unique. It mirrors what so many of us face when we feel stuck between chapters, unsure if God is still listening.
But the Bible is rich with stories of those who waited:
• Abraham waited for a child.
• Joseph waited in prison.
• Hannah waited for her womb to open.
• Jesus waited 30 years before beginning His ministry.
If you’re in a season of pause, take heart.
God is not absent in the stillness. He is working in the unseen. Sometimes, the waiting grows our faith more deeply than the answer ever could.
A Prayer While You Wait
Lord,
For every reader who feels forgotten or delayed—meet them right where they are. Remind them that You are not bound by our timelines. Remind them that a “not yet” is not a “no.” Pour out Your peace like soft rain and help them trust You in the quiet spaces.
Help them grow in faith, cling to hope, and stand firm when it feels like nothing is moving. Let the waiting become their testimony. Let it bloom into strength. Amen.
Continue the Journey
If this story resonated with you, we invite you to explore While You Wait – 7 Daily Devotionals on God's Timing.
Each page offers gentle scripture, heartfelt reflections, space to journal, and thoughtful prompts that walk with you through your season of waiting. The journal includes interactive digital fields and a Personal Reflections page designed to guide your soul gently through the delay.
Discover peace, even in the pause.
