By Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant

A friend, devastated when a long-term plan fell apart, insisted she had prayed and held a vision for her desired outcome.  She was sure she had followed internal guidance and was aligned in consciousness with principles that would manifest exactly what she wanted.  Convinced that something had gone wrong or that something negative was blocking her, she flat out refused to give up on the dream.  “I’ll wait,” she said, “for the universe to turn this back in my direction.  If the law is the law, it must come back around.  I will wait.”  Listening to her I became aware that there is an important distinction between waiting and wading.

The traditional Negro spiritual instructs seekers to, “wade in the water;” to be still, allowing God to move the energy around us. 

In scripture, we are encouraged to, “wait on the Lord and be of good courage.” 

While both are excellent faith-building practices, one indicates a divine delay that may ultimately work to your benefit.  The other is an assurance of divine intervention with an outcome we can hardly anticipate. 

When we are clear about waiting time and the opportunity to wade, there is less likelihood that we will short circuit the way the universe of life intends to bless us.

Wading is a full internal surrender and relaxation of mind and body with no expectation, no demands, and no requirements of fulfillment.  Wading has no direction or destination.  It is an immersion, release and willingness to be in the flow. 

We live in the flow of universal energy.  At times, the tide flows in. At other times, it flows out.

Wading, or “being in the flow”, means allowing the good to come to you rather than demanding it show up as you believe it should.  Wading, however, has a very specific requirement.  You must be perfectly aligned with the energy of that which you desire.  Wading requires a sense of knowing and trust that at the right time, in the right way, your deepest intent and desire will be realized.  If there is any doubt or hesitation in your wading, trusting or knowing, your wading will become waiting.

Waiting requires an internal and often external pressing into time and space with a specific demand.  It means anticipating that the expected will happen, hopefully as expected.  Waiting also encourages watching.  You must keep looking to make sure that the thing is coming like you want it to come. Waiting demands, a sort of mental and emotional holding pattern that can easily slip into an active control.

In the process of waiting and the attempt to control one thing, many others things can be missed or avoided.  While wading calls us to let go totally, completely with a deeper level of trust that requires no energy or effort, waiting means remaining alert for some sign or signal indicating a time to move and capture what we are waiting to receive.

When we are wading we float.

When we wait, we pace.

When we are wading we soak in the environment, the energy, the Presence.

When we are waiting there is a part of the mind that still wonders, “if?”

It is the waiting part of the mind that innocently wanders off course and disturbs the unfathomable possibilities that lie just beneath the surface.

Waiting can be driven by the ego.

Wading always rests in Spirit.

What are you waiting for?