I am writing this devotion from Wisconsin. Outside the window, several inches of snow covers the ground, the trees, the buildings, and even the cars. The wind is blowing, and it is a brisk 10 degrees. When we arrived yesterday, it was snowing, and the snow continued until late into the evening or early morning. Today, despite the frigid temperatures, the sun has shone brightly most of the day.

There’s something about staring across a field of snow in the sunlight. It’s nearly blinding. Everything is so bright. The light reflecting off the snow is enough to make me reach for my sunglasses. But oddly enough, lately, I’ve felt a bit like I’m living in darkness. How can it be so bright outside yet so dark inside?

I think it may have a lot to do with a particular phrase from the Bible I’ve been thinking about a lot lately—“by little and little.” I’ve shared the passage with you before, but for a brief reminder, I’ll tell you again. At the beginning and near the end of the Wilderness Wanderings, God tells the children of Israel how He will drive out the enemies from the Promised Land. But, He also warns them that the process will be a slow one.

Little by little. Creeping along. At a snail’s pace. That’s how life has seemed recently. Don’t get me wrong. We’ve been busy. We’ve traveled a few thousand miles since the beginning of the year. We’ve been in many meetings, states, time zones, and environments. Some weeks we’re so busy, I feel I barely have time to catch my breath. So, in that regard, the “little by little” is not applicable.

But other areas are a different story. For example, the entire reason we’re traveling the country is to raise the monthly support we need before going to Wales as missionaries. We’ve been on deputation for over two years, and we’re currently at 57% of that support. We’re hoping to finish in the fall of this year, making it three years of deputation, which sadly is about average for missionaries. Did you know it takes visiting four to five churches to gain one church’s support? Based on our average support level, we need about 100 supporting churches. I’ll let you do the math. Hence, the phrase “little by little.” Some days, it feels like we’ll never get to Wales, and the creeping along grows wearisome.

Then, there’s the area of weight loss. Crazy me! I recently decided I would try to lose some weight. Deputation is not kind to the body. When not stuck in a vehicle, we’re sitting in meetings. When we’re not in meetings, we’re sitting at the desk. And when we’re not doing that, some precious, well-meaning soul is taking us out to eat. Travel, eat, work, sleep, repeat. There’s little time or opportunity for exercise. And the constant meals add up around the waistline.

So, when we were home for Christmas, I was discouraged about how many of my clothes no longer fit and decided I would try to lose weight. The good news is, I have lost a few pounds since the holidays. The bad news is, it’s come off little by little. Days of sacrifice. Hours of thoughtful choices. Working day after day to eat the right things would be rewarding if the scale moved a little faster. But, alas, its pace of going down seems to correlate with our support’s rate of going up—little by little.

Thus, the gloom and doom that seems to be my constant friend these days. It’s not that life is bad. It’s merely that I’m impatient. Tired of waiting. Frustrated with the slowness of things that are so important to me. It can genuinely become all-consuming and my sole focus.

Fortunately, God’s Word sheds light on my world and helps me to remember some essential factors, like this truth I came upon in my Bible reading this morning:

God is good. God does good. Everything He does (or allows) has a purpose. He doesn’t waste time. So, if His path for us is a slow one, He must have a reason, and there’s no better place for us to be. Here’s another of my favorites:

To me, the days and months of toiling seem so long, but to God, they are nothing. He is outside of time. But despite that, my every moment is in His hand. He is in control. He knows what we need, and He knows what He’s doing. And He will bring everything together at just the right time.

Friend, maybe you, too, are living life “little by little.” Perhaps there’s something you’ve been working toward or waiting for, and you feel like it’s taking forever. I understand. Trust me, I do. But don’t allow the waiting to become your sole focus, or the frustration will have you living in darkness. Instead, dig out some spiritual nuggets from the Word of God. Allow it to shine some light into your soul and to remind you that God is good, loving, kind, and right. Find solace in these truths. Find comfort in His promises. And remember that your times—slow though they may seem—are in His hands.