What do you do  when the seasons change at a time that you least expected? You've waited until all the leaves have fallen off the tree, and the old dry trunk and branches are all that remain? Sarah had waited until everything around her said, "Case closed!" And then God showed up.

If you have been waiting, today's talk is for you.

Waiting for a promise. Waiting for a child. Waiting for a breakthrough. Waiting for healing.
Waiting for restoration. Waiting… and starting to feel like it might never happen. Let me remind you of something beautiful: God made Sarah laugh. And He will make you laugh again too.

Laughter After the Tears
Sarah’s story hits so close to home for many of us. God had promised Abraham a son; not just any son, but one born from his wife, Sarah. But time went on. Then more time. Then even more time. Twenty-five years passed from the promise to the fulfillment. That’s a long time to keep believing.

By the time God showed up again and said, “Next year, Sarah will have a child,” she laughed. Not the cute, joyful kind of laugh. More like the “please, don’t play with my emotions” kind of laugh. She laughed within herself and thought, “After I’ve grown old, and my husband is old also, shall I have pleasure?” And the Lord responded, “Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen 18:10-14)   That question right there… It still echoes today. Because no matter what you’re waiting for, no matter how impossible it looks, the heart of God’s question remains: Is anything too hard for Me?

The Appointed Time
One of my favorite parts of Sarah’s story is this: “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.” (Genesis 21:1).   Not “as Sarah orchestrated. Nor as Abraham had approved.   Not even as they had instructed Hagar. No. God moved as He had said. Because there is an appointed time for the fulfillment of every word God has spoken over your life. You may not see it right now, but trust me, when that time comes, it will be beautiful. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He makes all things beautiful in its time.”

Maybe you feel like your time has passed.   Or perhaps, like Sarah, you’ve hit your “menopause” season spiritually, emotionally, or physically, and you're tempted to resign yourself to your fate. But hear me:  God hasn’t changed His mind.

You may have tried to help Him out like Sarah did, birthing your own version of the promise (hello, Ishmael), but God is merciful. He knows how to step in, even after the mess, and fulfill what He originally planned. That’s the kind of God we serve.

When You've Resigned
Let’s talk about resignation. Because some of us haven’t just been waiting; we’ve given up.

You heard the promise years ago and got excited. You journaled it. You shared it with friends. Maybe you even sowed a seed in faith. But now? You're quiet. Numb. You’ve stopped praying about it because it feels like a waste of time.

You’ve convinced yourself that maybe you heard wrong. Maybe you missed your chance. Maybe it's too late. Can I lovingly challenge that today? Sarah was 90. Abraham was 100. And God said, “Now.” If that doesn’t shake up your doubts, I don’t know what will.

God Does Not Lie
Here’s the thing we have to settle in our hearts: God does not lie. He’s not like us. He doesn’t say one thing and do another. His word doesn’t return void. In fact, Scripture says the very proof that God has spoken is that it comes to pass (Deuteronomy 18:22).

So the question is no longer if He will do it; it’s when He will do it. And that’s where trust comes in.

We don’t wait for God like we wait for a bus that might be late. We wait with faith, with worship, and with hope. We wait with a holy expectation that says, “God, I know You. You’re faithful. And if you said it, it will happen.”

How Do You Wait?
I know it’s hard. Trust me, I do. But here’s how you wait well:

• Hold on to the promise. Even when nothing around you agrees with it.
• Refuse to speak against it. If all you can say is “It is well,” then say that.
• Stop trying to “help” God. His ways are better. His timing is perfect.
• Keep worshiping. Because praise is your weapon while you wait.
• Guard your heart. Don’t let bitterness take root. Delay is not denial.

From Resignation to Rejoicing
When Sarah held Isaac in her arms, she said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” I love that so much.   The same people who laughed at her, who doubted her, who thought she was delusional for believing in God, those same people laughed with her when the promise came.   That’s what God wants to do for you. He wants to turn your mourning into dancing, your sighs into songs, and your pain into praise.

So, what has God said to you that looks impossible right now?

Is it a child? A marriage? A ministry? A dream?

Don’t bury it. Don’t write it off. Don’t say “stop” where God only placed a comma.

God is still writing your story. And guess what? It ends in joy. I came to remind you today: Your season of laughter is coming. For some of you, it’s already here. You may not have even recognized it yet. But the seed God planted in your heart is about to show. Don’t quit now.

God’s question to Sarah is His question to you today: Is anything too hard for me?

If this post encouraged you, share it with someone who’s in a season of waiting. And leave a comment:  Let’s encourage each other to keep believing,  because like Sarah, you will laugh again!

Ijeoma M  Anyanwu
 

Highlights from the Blog:

•    God Fulfills His Promises in His Appointed Time:

•    Your Laughter Is Coming:

•    How You Wait Matters:
 

 Reflection
•    What promise has God spoken over your life that you may have given up on, and how can you begin to hope again?

•  Are you truly waiting on God’s timing, or are you trying to “help” the promise along in your own strength? What needs to shift in your posture of waiting?