Betsy Childs Howard - Seasons of Waiting: Walking by Faith When Dreams Are Delayed

Thank you for downloading this Crossway book.

Sign-up for the Crossway Newsletter for updates on special offers, new resources, and exciting global ministry initiatives:

Crossway Newsletter

Or, if you prefer, we would love to connect with you online:

The Bible and the history of the church are full of stories of God revealing incredible dreams and rescuing men and women in dramatic settings, such as Moses, Mary, John Wesley, and Pascal. But of course, it does not always happen that wayas Hannah, Elizabeth, Jeremiah, and countless other believers through the ages can testify. In Seasons of Waiting, Betsy Childs Howard offers hope for the weary traveler wrestling with this tension. Through her own story and those of others, she demonstrates how to wait well upon the faithful One who knows us and loves us and has a plan and purpose for each of usand who often surprises us with gifts of which we may have never dreamed.

Ravi Zacharias, Founder and President, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries; author, Jesus Among Other Gods

The thesis of this book is simple but profound: God does not leave us alone in the many waiting rooms of life, but uses seasons of pain, absence, and longing to draw us unto himself. Deeply personal and biblically wise, this is a book every Christian should read.

Timothy George, Founding Dean, Beeson Divinity School; General Editor, Reformation Commentary on Scripture

We are all in a season of waiting, even in the moments when we think we have arrived. Betsy Childs Howard speaks comforting truth to our anxious hearts, especially when we worry that our waiting will never end. What are you waiting for? Get a copy of this book and ask a friend to read with you!

Gloria Furman, pastors wife, Redeemer Church of Dubai; author, The PastorsWife and Missional Motherhood

Betsy leads us with a gentle strength through some of the most difficult seasons of waiting and points us to Christ. This book will be a great encouragement to many. I hope you read it and draw near to your Savior who sees, loves, and cares about you in every situation.

Jessica Thompson, author, Everyday Grace; coauthor, Give Them Grace

No matter who you are, youre waiting for something. Indeed, Christianity is a waiting religion as we eagerly long for the return of Christ. I dont know a better book on the topic than this one by Betsy Childs Howard, one of my favorite writers.

Collin Hansen, Editorial Director, The Gospel Coalition; author, Blind Spots

Waiting is hard and confusing; and oftentimes our longings are for good things, like marriage and children. Betsy Childs Howard has provided an excellent resource to help us wait well. She doesnt throw out familiar advice like guard your heart and be content. Instead, she graciously shows us how God is working in our waiting through the parables of Jesus, the stories of others, and the wonderful promises in Gods Word. God has a purpose greater than we could ever hope or imagine and Howard gently takes our hand to help us see this to be true. You will not regret picking this up.

Trillia Newbell, author, Enjoy, Fear and Faith, and United

Betsy Childs Howard provides us with a much-needed message to strengthen us in every type of waiting. She transforms our understanding from the belief that we are not getting what we deserve, to hoping in the better life to come that awaits us in Christ. She removes the isolation we feel in our waiting and helps us see that we are all waiting for something in this life, but more importantly, we are all waiting for the return of King Jesus.

Courtney Reissig, wife; mom; Assistant Editor, The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood; author, The Accidental Feminist

Betsy Childs Howard invites readers to come and connect with real-life stories that are centered on the Bibles story of redemption in Jesus Christ. In pointing toward the hope of the gospel, this book does not minimize our painful present waiting, it fortifies the waiter and lights up the waiting with the presence of Christ.

Kathleen B. Nielson, Director of Womens Initiatives, The Gospel Coalition

Betsy Childs Howard writes with tender empathy for those who wait with deep, unmet longings. She shows the path away from despair toward unfading hope. A humble heart can hold both contentment and grief together in ways that honor the Lord in their dependence on him, even as they point to Christs return when all our longings will be fulfilled in him. Because we inhabit time with a past and a future, were always waiting for something. Howard reminds us powerfully, from Scripture, that in Gods wisdom, its good to wait.

Candice Watters, Cofounder, Boundless.org; author, Get Married:What WomenCan Do to Help it Happen

Betsy has written a warm and winsome book that can be appreciated by people who are waiting on God for a variety of circumstances. Even if our waiting is characterized by painful longing, Betsy encourages us that if the painful longing is anchored in a firm confidence in the goodness of God, we are waiting well. Open this book and you will find much encouragement for how to do so.

Carolyn McCulley, filmmaker; speaker; author, The Measure of Success, Radical Womanhood, and Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye?

Seasons of Waiting

Walking by Faith When Dreams Are Delayed

Betsy Childs Howard

Seasons of Waiting: Walking by Faith When Dreams Are Delayed

Copyright 2016 by Betsy Childs Howard

Published by Crossway
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Connie Gabbert

First printing 2016

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible. Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by Permission.

Scripture references marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-4949-6
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-4952-6
PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-4950-2
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-4951-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data