What If the Delay Is Not the Problem?

You've prayed. You've planned. You've taken action. And still nothing is moving.

So you start asking the wrong question: why is this taking so long?

But what if the delay isn't the problem? What if the real issue is what you're measuring yourself against while you wait?

This episode is about the gap between God's timing and your timeline, and what happens when you mistake preparation for punishment. I share a personal story about a missed flight to Canada that turned into one of the best seasons of my life, and what it taught me about trust, neurodivergent minds in uncertainty, and the difference between being delayed and being redirected.

If you've been treating this season like something to survive, this conversation might reframe it entirely.

💬 DM me on Instagram @thekerenelijah — what are you currently calling a delay that might actually be preparation?

Transcript

 Do you ever feel like God is moving way too slow? Like you've been patient, you've done your part, you've prayed, you've planned, you've taken action, and yet nothing is happening. And at some point you are starting to ask, God, did you forget me? I know that feeling. If you're there right now, I just want to say you are not alone.

Waiting in any shape or form is hard, especially when your brain craves certainty, timelines, and movement. And what if this waiting season is not a delay? What if it's actually preparation? That's what we're talking about today. Hey friend. Welcome to the Keren Elijah podcast and  if this is your first time here.

Hi, I am Karen, and around here we talk about faith movement and seeing things true, and today we're talking about something that none of us enjoy and that is waiting. Because let's be real, we love sudden Breakthroughs. Who doesn't love that? We love when things move quickly and we love when we get an idea and boom, instant results.

But what about when that doesn't happen? What about when you've done everything right and you're still waiting? That's what we are unpacking today, and if you're in a waiting season, hear me right. It is not wasted.

I'll be real with you. There are times when I feel like God just is ignoring me. I've had everything mapped out. I was showing up. I am doing the work. I'm praying, I'm fasting. I'm making all the moves and still nothing. And when nothing happens for long enough, your brain starts running laps. Am I doing something wrong?

God, are you, are you sure? This is it? Are you sure about this? Because in our minds waiting, it costs wasted time. But looking back, I see that isn't always true. God definitely wasn't punishing me. He wasn't ignoring me. He was aligning things behind the scenes in ways I couldn't see yet, and I wish I had trusted sooner, but now I get it.

God's delays are not his denials, but when you're stuck in the thick of things, it really feels like you are not moving forward. It feels like everyone has gone ahead of you. And you're still behind. Take for example, when I was going to Canada, that was 2013, everyone finished school, secondary school in 2012, right?

And it was time to go to university. I knew I was going to Canada, everything was ready, but my passport was not out yet. I'd gotten my admission. Paid for fees. And the day I was supposed to leave my passport was not out. I cried. Because I even had some people telling me, this is what you're saying.

You're going to Canada. Are you really sure you're not just lying to us? Because people, by that time, people were already in their first year going to their second year, and I was like, I'm sure I'm behind on this thing. But it came a day after my flight left and I had to leave, three months after. But that Christmas I spent home was one of the best Christmas of my life.

I still refer back to it. I'm like, I'm grateful I had that time with my family. So you see, it wasn't wasted. I wouldn't have had the opportunity if I had left when I was supposed to leave, but this is me talking now in hindsight. During that time, I cried, I whipped, I. And I've had many seasons like that.

But when you look back on it, it is such a learning curve, I would say. Now let's talk about why waiting seasons hit so hard, hard, especially in minds of people that, neuro divergent or people that just see life in a different way because listen. If you're neurodivergent, you know how hard it is to sit in uncertainty, to not have clear lines that this is when the time for this is.

And like what I mean is timelines when you feel like you're in limbo with no clear steps, we think feels like chaos in our brains. It triggers that. What do I do with myself feeling? When we stop, we feel overwhelmed, disconnected, and then we start spiraling. Then you start overthinking every past decision, researching for the 50th time and looking for something.

Anything that make it feel like we're moving again. But what if waiting wasn't the enemy? What if it is an invitation? Now, let's look at the faith side of things where divine timing makes sense later. I know, I know that sounds cute in theory, but let's talk about real people. In the Bible that waited.

Joseph had a dream for 17 years, but didn't step into it until he was 30. That's insane. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before leading Israel, and the mad thing about Moses on was he led people to. Through those 40 years, but he didn't enter the promised land. That's another topic for a different day, but 40 years , David was appointed King, but spent years in caves before sitting on the throne.

Every single one of them had to sit in the in-between. You see that messy middle, and I bet they felt very frustrated about it too. Because waiting doesn't mean you're forgotten. It means you are not ready yet or the thing you are waiting for. Isn't ready for you. And dealing with that comes with trust because you have to trust that God's ways are not your ways.

That's tough. So we get that there's the messy middle. How do we survive the waiting seasons without spiraling? Because let's be honest, you can't rush God but you can make sure that you are ready when he moves. Here's how we can do that. Step one is to shift. Why am I waiting to, what is God teaching me?

There's something in this season that's shaping you, so what is it? Step two is to keep moving without forcing the outcome. Movement doesn't have to mean big steps. It can be small, quiet on scene preparation,  and call yourself in God's voice, not external timelines. Because someone else's life is moving fast doesn't mean you are behind  step four. Remember, God is never late. It may seem slow to you, but he's aligning everything perfectly. The boundary lines are falling in pleasant places for you. So before we wrap up, I want to ask you this. Are you feeling frustrated because it's actually taking too long or because it's taking longer than you expected?

Do you believe that God's timing is actually better than yours? Are you willing to trust that God knows exactly what he's doing because friend, he sure does. I know it's hard. I know you are tired. I know you wish things would just happen already. But this season isn't wasted. If you want to talk about it more, DM you on Instagram and tell me what's something you're trusting in God's timing right now and remember.

Just because it's slow doesn't mean it's stuck. God is still moving even when you can't see it. I'll see you in the next episode. Ciao.