The Waiting Was the Miracle

December has a way of feeling suspended in time. It’s caught between what has been and what is yet to come, a space where nostalgia meets hope, and memory meets wonder. Bright twinkling lights illuminate snow-dusted streets, pine-scented candles fill cozy rooms, and the spirit of giving warms hearts on even the darkest days. However, under it all, there’s a quiet pause.

It’s also a season of anticipation: college students waiting for finals to finish, families waiting for reunions with their loved ones, and children waiting for Santa to come on Christmas Eve. Most of all, hearts around the world wait for the peace and hope that Christ’s birth brings. These waiting places, so common this time of year, remind us of the waiting that surrounded the long-anticipated arrival of the Savior,

Amid that first Christmas, Mary carried a weight that few can truly imagine—a young woman, chosen to bear the Son of God, facing the uncertainty, discomfort, and scrutiny of an unexpected pregnancy. Her waiting was not passive; it was filled with courage, patience, and faith as she navigated the physical and emotional hardships of carrying a child. And yet, she trusted that her trials had an expected end: a child would be born, a Savior would come, and God’s promises would be fulfilled.

In our own lives, we can take comfort in the same truth. Through His prophet Jeremiah, the Lord has reassured us, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace…to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). Until that end comes, however, we are able to rely on the Lord to help us endure all things.

Elder Paul V. Johnson taught, “Not one of the trials and tribulations we face is beyond our limits, because we have access to help from the Lord. We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.” We learn from Mary’s story that waiting is not simply a pause between what has been and what will be. It is the space where God strengthens, sustains, and carries us. The miracle is not only that the trial eventually comes to an end, but that God gives us the grace to endure until it does.

Joseph, too, experienced waiting, though his was of a different kind. As a righteous man, he faced the news of Mary’s pregnancy with questions, fears, and uncertainty. How could this be? What would others think? How could he fulfill his role as protector and provider? Yet Joseph’s waiting was not idle. He sought divine guidance in prayer and listened for answers in ways that required trust, humility, and patience. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland reminds us, “Some answers come soon; some come late; and some don’t come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”

When the angel came to Joseph in a dream, he didn’t receive every explanation at once, but he received enough light to take the next step. His experience reminds us that God often answers questions gradually, giving clarity in pieces rather than all at once. As the Lord teaches, “I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30).

Waiting, then, is not merely endurance. It is choosing faith in the middle of uncertainty: continuing to pray, to listen, and to move forward even when answers feel incomplete. Joseph’s story reminds us that God is still working, even when we can’t yet see how the pieces fit together. Sometimes the miracle is not the sudden arrival of answers, but the gentle light God gives us while we are still waiting—just enough to do the next right thing.

Israel, too, knew long seasons of waiting—centuries of longing for the promised Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises. Generations faced exile, oppression, and uncertainty. Again and again, they were asked to trust promises they could not yet see fulfilled, yet God’s hand was never absent. Though His timing and methods were often hidden from view, He was at work, orchestrating His purposes with perfect wisdom.

Our Heavenly Father has declared, “Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God… and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:3). Like Israel, even when the waiting feels painfully long, we can trust that God is actively working within our lives, guiding us toward the fulfillment of His promises and the blessings He’s prepared.

Again and again, all through the Christmas story, we see that waiting is never wasted. In the pain, the uncertainty, and the unseen work of God, miracles quietly unfold. He strengthens, guides, and orchestrates His purposes with perfect timing. As Myrtle Reed reminds us, “Do not question too much, dear friend. For the God who ordained the beginning can safely be trusted with the end, as well as with all that lies in between.” In every waiting place—whether personal trials, unanswered questions, or long-promised blessings—we can trust that God is at work. The miracle is not only the fulfillment of promises but also the grace, strength, and light He gives to carry us through the in-between. It turns out that the waiting was, and still is, the miracle.

Avery Palenske is so excited for the holiday season! She feels like a kid on Christmas morning, giddy with relief that finals are done and she has time to spend time with her loved ones in her hometown. Amid putting up decorations, returning to her high school haunts, and picking out the perfect gifts for her family, she is grateful to slow down and have time to worship the Greatest Gift, her Savior Jesus Christ, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.