To The Girl Who Feels Like She's Stuck On The Sidelines Watching Someone Else Win

Earlier this year, as some of you know, was a very disappointing evening for Georgia football fans. The UGA Bulldogs, or “The Dawgs” as I grew up calling them, came oh-so-close to winning their second National Championship against their neighboring SEC powerhouse, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Unfortunately for Georgia, they came up short in overtime against the Tide and suffered a shocking loss. Meanwhile, Alabama celebrated winning their 16th national championship. 

I called my little brother as soon as the game ended, knowing he was so excited about the thought of Georgia finally winning a championship. It took a few rings before he answered the phone. But when he finally did, he sounded like someone had died. (You think I’m exaggerating…but I’m not.) He was so upset. His hopes had been crushed. He talked about how disappointed he was, how his team had gotten so close, but not close enough. 

After we talked for a few minutes, what my little brother said next is what really stuck with me. He said:

“Kristen, why do the same teams always have to win? Alabama wins all the time. When is it going to be our turn? Why do we have to keep waiting?”

The more I thought about that statement, the more I realized how often I’d thought the same thing, not necessarily about sports, but about other people. In my mind, that statement sounds more like this:

“Why does she always get everything she wants? Why do things always seem to go her way? Why does she always win? Can’t it be my turn? Why do I have to keep waiting?”

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s had thoughts like this. We all know that girl who seems to just coast through life, getting everything she ever wanted, whenever she wants it. She gets the dream job, scores a promotion, drives a new car, lives in a super nice apartment, dates the perfect guy, goes on extravagant vacations…the list keeps going. 

It just doesn’t seem fair. You can’t understand why things always seem to go well for her, why she doesn’t have to wait for anything. Meanwhile you feel like you can’t catch a break, like you just can’t win. You just keep waiting and waiting and waiting, praying that before long, it’ll finally be your turn, that you won’t have to wait anymore, and you’ll get what you’ve been hoping for. 

Waiting is never fun, especially when you’re watching other people get what you want. Georgia fans had been waiting nearly 40 years for a chance at winning another national championship. But last night, they came to the painful realization that they were going to have to keep waiting for that chance. And then to make matters worse, they had to sit on the sidelines and watch the team who's won this game 15 other times add another trophy to their collection. Talk about a punch to the gut. 

If you’re in a season of waiting right now, you can probably relate to what Georgia went through on that cold night in January. You know the feeling all to well. But let me encourage you that just because you’re on the sidelines now, doesn’t mean you always will be. 

Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” 

In other words, just because our current circumstances might seem uncertain, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have hope. On the contrary, it means we should wait expectedly and excitedly, looking forward to what God has in store for us. 

Isaiah 64:4 says, “For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you who works for those who wait for him!”

What a statement! That means that even if we tried, we couldn’t possibly understand and comprehend all that God is doing behind the scenes, working on our behalf as we wait for Him. 

One of my favorite quotes was made by John Piper, when he said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them."

Let me encourage you, friend. Even if your life seems to be at a stand still, God is still moving. He is in action, working all things together for your good and for His ultimate glory. He has a purpose in your waiting. And while it may seem like you’re going to be stuck on the sidelines forever, you’re not. God has a perfect game plan, and He knows exactly when your time will come. 

So my challenge to you is this. Next time you see that girl who always seems like she’s winning, next time you scroll by one of her Instagram pictures or watch one of her Snapchat stories, stop. Stop and ask the Lord to help you to wait eagerly for what He has in store for you. Instead of focusing on what other people have and what other people are doing, focus on how God is preparing you in this season of waiting. Ask Him to give you patience in the meantime and get excited about all that He has planned for you!