Peace in the Waiting | Teri McKay

My “40” has been the pain of watching my son choose a path I know is not God’s plan, and if I’m honest, I am still walking through it. This story isn’t one where everything has resolved neatly. It is a story of waiting, pleading, and learning to trust God in the middle of unanswered prayer.

There have been days filled with anger, and others filled with deep sorrow. At times it has felt like grieving someone I haven’t physically lost, but whose presence in our family has been deeply altered. I have wrestled with thoughts I know are not from God, thoughts that tell me to lose hope, that maybe God has given up on him. Even when I know that isn’t true, the battle in my mind can be real.

That has been my “40.”

But something began to shift when I realized I had a choice. I could stay in self-pity, blame, and shame, or I could keep living and trust God to do what only God can do.

I chose to place my son in God’s hands.

And in that surrender, I began to see God’s faithfulness in ways I might have missed before. He sent people to listen, pray, and carry this burden with me. He strengthened my faith. He deepened my relationship with my daughter as we grieved together. He even used this pain to help me give more of myself to others, especially the children I teach.

What changed most was me.

The circumstance has not fully changed, but my heart has. I have peace, even while I still struggle. I have learned that control was never mine to carry.

Sometimes “41” is not the absence of pain, but the presence of peace in the middle of it.

I think I am living a perpetual “41”—still waiting, but waiting with hope.

If you are still in your “40,” keep believing, keep praying, keep obeying, and keep living. Don’t let your season stop your life. Stay in the Word. Stay close to God’s people. Turn over what you cannot control. God is still working, even in the waiting.

From the 41 Series

One of the most powerful moments in Elijah’s story happens after the victory. After the fire.
After the answered prayer. After the rain finally comes. Elijah still finds himself exhausted, discouraged, and struggling emotionally in the wilderness.

That part of the story matters because it reminds us that faithfulness does not always remove pain immediately.

Sometimes we assume that if we pray enough, trust enough, or obey enough, every difficult situation should resolve quickly. But many seasons of life simply do not work that way.

Some prayers take longer. Some burdens remain heavier than we expected. Some wilderness seasons continue longer than we hoped. And yet God’s presence remains steady through all of it.

When Elijah sat overwhelmed beneath the broom tree, God did not shame him for struggling. God met him there. He provided for him. Strengthened him. Spoke to him. Reminded him he was not alone.

Sometimes “41” is not the complete removal of pain. Sometimes it is learning to experience God’s peace while the struggle continues.

That kind of peace only comes through surrender.

Surrendering what we cannot control.
Surrendering people we cannot fix.
Surrendering outcomes we cannot force.

And trusting that God is still working even when we cannot yet see the full outcome.

“What was true of God, is always true of God.”

His faithfulness remains steady in both the breakthrough and the waiting.

Scripture Encouragement

• 1 Kings 19:4–8

• Philippians 4:6–7

• Isaiah 40:31

Reflect & Respond

What resonated most with you in Teri’s story? Why?

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Are there situations, people, or prayers you have struggled to surrender fully to God?

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How have you experienced God’s peace even in seasons where circumstances remained difficult?

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What would trusting God in the waiting look like for you today?__________________________________________________________________________

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Prayer

Father, thank You for remaining near even in seasons where prayers feel unanswered and burdens feel heavy. Help me trust You with the things I cannot control and remind me that Your faithfulness does not disappear in the waiting.

Give me peace where anxiety, grief, or discouragement try to take hold. Strengthen my faith to continue praying, hoping, and trusting You even when the outcome is still uncertain.

Thank You for carrying me through every season.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Share Hope

Many people quietly carry ongoing pain, unanswered prayers, or difficult family situations. As you reflect on Teri’s story, consider sharing it with someone who may need the reminder that God’s peace is still available even in the middle of waiting.