Waiting…

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

As I sat at my desk, staring out at the woods, lost in thought — or perhaps in no thought at all — I finally put my pencil down on the paper in front of me. It was covered in cool little doodles from a few hours of so-called writing

March was just around the corner. My morning chores were done. I was pumped, ready, and geared up to write a few stories I hoped my readers would enjoy — and maybe even see themselves within.

And yet… nothing came.

Whether your creative gift is painting, whittling wood, or sewing, you know what I’m talking about. I’m sure you’ve been there too.

(Please say you have!)

Ideas danced invisibly around my head, appearing and disappearing just as quickly. I found myself phasing in and out of possibility, unable to grasp even one.

Then suddenly…

Bing.

My phone chimed from the kitchen counter.

(Yay — a distraction!)

It was a text from my sister-in-law, Anne. She and my brother were preparing to move to a beautiful place on the West Coast, and with time running short, boxes were everywhere.

She wrote:

“I’m packing up the condo, and this piece of paper slipped out of a drawer and onto the floor at my feet. I immediately thought of you while reading it. I am so delighted that you are pursuing your passion for writing! Lots of love, Anne”

As I read her message, I felt something soften inside me.

She had included a photograph of the paper — simple, unassuming — yet filled with quiet wisdom. I read it once… and then again, slowly, allowing each word to settle.

With every gentle exhale, my body relaxed.

The guilt I had been carrying — for not being patient enough, for trying to force the flow — began to dissolve. In its place came clarity… and calm.

The words that stood out most were:

“Silence within.”
“A prayer.”
“Wait for my thoughts.”
“Allowing themselves to shape.”

They felt like seeds — meant to be watered slowly and trusted fully.

And because I know so many of you carry this same passion…
because I know you, too, experience moments of uncertainty and frustration when trying to express what lives in your heart…

I felt called to share these words with you. They are from Alex Noble.

Waiting ~

“When I start to write, the silence within which I wait for my thoughts to discover and shape themselves is in itself a prayer.

If no words come, if no images focus themselves, if no telegrams sing from the Infinite, this waiting silence still has a value of its own.

Why?

Because this kind of silence is a tribute — an offering — a desire to be of service which will never go unrewarded.

It is an act of great trust to wait on each moment in this quiet, listening way.

I am coming to believe that this state of open, vulnerable waiting — this unprogrammed, undirected discovery of space within that waits to be filled — is as important as any writing that may or may not come out of it.

It is enriching, of course, to feel the flow of thought onto paper when ideas come.

But the living, vital thing is this attitude of receptivity beyond words.

To attain this island of silence, this cave of the spirit in which I can listen, is in itself a kind of achievement in these clamorous times.”

— Alex Noble

These words met me exactly where I was.

They reminded me that waiting is not empty.
It is not wasted.
It is not failure.

It is faith.

To those who read my work — my heartfelt companions — thank you for your ongoing support and love. I hold deep gratitude for the way you receive my words and carry them forward, allowing them to move through you and touch others.

That, to me, is the greatest gift.

Together, we learn how to express our talents more honestly…
how to live more gently…
and how to navigate this complicated and beautiful world with open hearts.

Thought to Ponder

How have you given yourself time and space during seasons when your creativity felt distant?

And in what ways have you gently invited it back?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Photo by Christian Wiebel on Unsplash

©2026 Terry Pottinger