Most people think of waiting as a passive process. No one likes to wait. In fact, most people hate to wait. We don’t want to wait in line. We don’t want to wait in traffic. And, we certainly don’t like waiting for opportunity. We live in a “We want it NOW!” culture. Instant access to news, updates, and things that we desire.

Yet, we find in life that there are some things that are worth waiting for. And sometimes – maybe even most times – the waiting helps us appreciate the moment when we receive the reward. That is what Jalen Hurts found out this past weekend as he helped Alabama defeat Georgia in the SEC Championship and earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. After getting benched in last year’s National College Championship against Georgia in the same stadium and losing his starting job to Tua Tagovailoa at the beginning of this season, Jalen Hurts came in for the injured Tagovailoa and helped his team come from behind throwing a touchdown pass to tie it and running for a touchdown to win it. Hollywood could not have written a better script for this story!

Throughout all of this, Hurts showed what it means to be a great leader and teammate. When he was benched and replaced in last year’s game, he did not pout. He did not quit. He did not transfer. Instead, he waited, knowing that waiting is an active and not a passive process. Based on his faith, Jalen knew that God still had a plan for his life. In fact, he tweeted the following on September 16, 2018:

Jalen’s faith was his foundation, and he knew that waiting is an active process.

You may find yourself in a season of waiting right now. Waiting for a new opportunity. Waiting on finding the right relationship. Waiting on a promotion. Waiting on healing. Waiting for a smoother path. No matter what you are waiting for, my encouragement to you is to be active during this season of life. Learn from Jalen Hurts and 3 things that you can do during a season of waiting:

• Prepare – When we find ourselves in a moment of waiting, the first thing we want to do is act and respond and usually in a reactive and unwise way. We learn from Jalen Hurts that he processed what had just happened and continued to prepare for ways that he could help his team. We can’t always predict when a defining moment will happen, but we can be prepared for it, and this is just what Jalen did. He worked hard every day, encouraged the quarterback who had replaced him, and led in ways that would have a positive impact on his teammates and the team’s goals. He stayed active in the waiting process and was ready when his number was called.
• Pray – For Jalen, his faith is very important to him, and he prayed and sought wisdom from the Bible to help him understand this season of waiting. While he may not have understood everything that was happening, he gained insight in what to do now in order to impact tomorrow. In my own life, prayer and trust in Jesus have provided everything I need to make sense of detours and help be present and active in the current moment.
• Be Present – When we are asked to wait, it is easy to become apathetic, disillusioned, and complacent. We sometimes step out of the moment missing opportunities to grow, learn, and develop. It has been my experience that waiting often provides an “active pause” for us to grow in ways that we never would have had the season of waiting not occurred. For Jalen Hurts, he grew as a leader, teammate, and quarterback. He has become a better passer, which is something that he focused on during this waiting period. He also said that he has developed in his resiliency and character.

Waiting is not meant for us take a time out and just sit there doing nothing. Waiting is meant to be a time of growth, learning, and development. In order to realize the benefits of a season of waiting, we have to be active in the process. Jalen Hurts was active during this season of waiting, and his activity revealed itself in one of the biggest moments of his career and the history of Alabama football. Instead of pouting and being upset about waiting, may we all learn from his lesson, and choose to embrace and engage in the “waiting moments” of our lives.

Jalen Hurts scores a go-ahead touchdown with Tua Tagovailoa cheering him on.

You simply cannot make this up. pic.twitter.com/ngRf95vtL8

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 2, 2018