Blog 15/ Lessons Brewing in the Waiting Season
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” ~ James 1:12
Lessons Brewing in the Waiting Season
There’s something sacred about the waiting season — that stretch of time between what God promised and what you finally get to hold in your hands. It’s a space that feels both quiet and loud, both still and stretching, both overwhelming and overflowing.
Romans 12:2 has carried me through this journey:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
This scripture was more than a verse — it became a rhythm. A reminder. A reset.
Because becoming Dr. Courtney Nicole Johnson was never just an academic pursuit. It was obedience. It was transformation. It was faith in motion.
And here’s the truth that nobody likes to say out loud:
Not everyone will understand your calling.
Family, friends, co-workers — even people who love you — may not be able to see what God showed you. They may question the path, misunderstand the mission, or silently wonder why you are walking a road they would never choose. But when God places a dream in your heart, your responsibility is not to make it make sense to others. Your responsibility is obedience.
For the past two years — and especially this last one — I’ve walked through a season that was quiet, lonely, refining, and full of pressure.
The kind of pressure that makes you question if you’ve been forgotten.
The kind of stillness that makes you wonder if you’re moving at all.
The kind of isolation that pushes you deeper into prayer because nobody else can understand your processing.
But here’s what I learned:
☕ 1. The waiting season is not punishment — it’s preparation.
God needed me set apart, not surrounded.
He needed my mind renewed, not distracted.
He needed my heart softened, not hardened.
Waiting wasn’t withholding — it was aligning.
☕ 2. Obedience doesn’t always get applause.
Sometimes the people closest to you can’t celebrate what they don’t comprehend — and that’s okay. Obedience to God will always produce a harvest, whether people clap for you or not. At the end of the day, your faith is yours alone. You can’t borrow someone else’s belief to secure your salvation or your steps into the Kingdom.
☕ 3. Pressure creates radiance.
This season pressed me — mentally, spiritually, and physically. Between the professional obligations, the academic demands, the life transitions, and the quiet moments that felt like abandonment… the pressure was real.
But diamonds are not made in comfort. They’re formed in hidden places, under heat, force, and time.
As James 1:12 reminds us, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
This scripture became a reminder that perseverance isn’t just endurance — it is preparation for a blessing that is promised because you stayed, endured, and trusted God through the pressure.
☕ 4. Your harvest will always look bigger than your storms.
As I stand in this final stretch toward December 19th, I am overwhelmed by the abundance, the joy, and the clarity God has poured into my cup.
The seeds I sowed in obedience —
the late nights,
the quiet tears,
the lonely growth,
the sacrifices,
the resilience —
are now revealing the crop only God could grow.
☕ 5. Don’t rush the waiting.
It’s there to shape you, stretch you, and protect you from conforming to shortcuts.
The easy way out is never the God way.
Transformation takes time.
Renewing the mind takes surrender.
Becoming takes process.
So whatever you’re going through…
whatever dream God whispered…
whatever promise you’re holding onto…
whatever valley you’re climbing through…
Know this:
Your waiting season is not wasted. It is working.
God’s perfect plan is bigger, wiser, and far more beautiful than anything we could design ourselves. And when the moment arrives — when the promise becomes visible — you’ll understand why you had to be set apart, refined, and prepared.
Some blessings are too heavy for an unprepared heart.
Waiting strengthens the heart to carry them.
Keep going.
Stay obedient.
Stay faithful.
Stay transformed.
Your harvest is coming — and it will be worth every quiet, painful, pressure-filled moment it took to get here.
Cheers to Waiting Seasons,
Dr. Courtney Nicole Johnson
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Dr. Courtney Nicole Johnson
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