For years, I struggled with feelings of delay. Friends were getting married, building careers and starting families; while I felt stuck in a cycle of waiting. I prayed. I fasted. I asked God, “When will it be my turn?”

At 26, I had envisioned a different life. I thought by now, I’d have a ring on my finger, a child in my arms and the kind of peace that comes from certainty. But instead, I was facing constant disappointment. Job rejections, failed relationships and a heart full of questions. It felt like heaven was silent.

But God was working behind the scenes.

One Sunday, during a midweek service I almost skipped, the message hit me like a wave:

“Delay is not denial. Sometimes God pauses your plans to prepare your purpose.”

That night, something shifted in me. I stopped trying to force the timeline and started leaning into His will. I picked up my Bible more, started journaling again and volunteered at my local church’s youth ministry. Slowly, my focus changed from what I didn’t have, to what I could give.

Months later, during a youth outreach event, I met someone who later became both a business partner and a dear friend. Through that connection, doors opened. Opportunities I never imagined began to come my way, and most unexpectedly, love found me, not when I was desperately searching, but when I was finally surrendered.

Today, I’m walking in purpose, engaged to a man who fears God and running a non-profit that empowers young women spiritually and emotionally. God didn’t just answer my prayers, He exceeded them.

If you’re in a waiting season, don’t give up. Don’t let the silence make you doubt the promise. God isn’t punishing you, He’s preparing you.

“At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” — Isaiah 60:22