Poem and Practice: As You Wait

Slowing down long enough to notice what is still here

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About

Tanner Olson is a poet and author who writes about God, grief, hope, and the ordinary moments that shape us. Blake Roberts | LMFT is a therapist and writer who helps people slow down, tell the truth about their inner lives, and move toward healing with honesty and compassion. He is also a fantastic Instagram follow.

Together, we’re joining forces for good and creating a series of poems and reflections for the seasons that feel unfinished.

Each post begins with a poem from Tanner, followed by a guided reflection from Blake. Our hope is not to offer quick answers or easy fixes (because we don’t have answers and easy fixes usually break quickly), but to create space: space to reflect, to breathe, to grieve, to hope, and to remember that even in the unfinished parts of life, we are not alone.

This first piece is about waiting. It’s an invitation to slow down and then slow down some more to notice what feels missing, while also holding onto the possibility that peace, hope, and God’s presence have not left us.

Our structure is this:

• Read

• Reflect

• Respond

• Rest

Ready?

As You Wait by Tanner Olson

From the book, Getting Through What You’re Going Through

As you wait, make your coffee.

Move to the couch or to the chair on the porch.

Leave your phone in the other room, along with your worries.

You don’t need to busy yourself.

You can just be.

Open your hands and breathe in deep.

This is a prayer of thanks and surrender.

Fix your eyes forward on the world in front of you.

See the trees shake their leaves to the ground.

Listen as the birds sing their song for anyone who will listen.

Get lost in the rising sun and the shadows it makes.

Slow yourself down and sit with what is, even if what is feels incomplete.

There is peace, but there is also a piece missing.

Something is missing, but hope is not.
Something is missing, but peace is not.
Something is missing, but God is not.

God is here as you wait.

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Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.
— Psalm 37:7

Photo by Blake Roberts

Reflection by Blake Roberts

Open your journal and prepare to write, but before you do begin with this breathe prayer:

Inhale / The LORD is my shepherd
Exhale / I shall not be in want.

Quietly arrive in your body.

Take another slow breath. Put your phone on the other side of the room. Turn over your to-do list so it’s out of sight. Notice what your body does when there is nothing to manage for a moment.

Write: Right now, my body feels...

Sit with what is actually here.

Write: When I slow down and notice it, I feel...

Every season has loose ends and unfinished things. You don’t have to fix them right now. Just tell the truth about what feels unfinished.

Write: Something in my life that feels incomplete is...

Gently name what feels missing.

Most of us can point to a space inside that feels empty or not-yet. Naming it doesn’t make it worse. It actually makes room to breathe.

Write: What feels missing to me right now is...

Remember what hasn’t left.

Even when life feels overwhelming and you feel stretched thin, hope can be quiet. Peace can be subtle. Joy can feel faint. Love can seem distant.

Write:
The one that feels closest to me today is...
The one that feels farthest is...
This distance makes me feel...

Before you move on, use one of the following prompts to begin a prayer. Let it guide you into whatever comes next. And after you say amen, may you remember: God is not missing, and He has not forgotten you.

As I wait, I’m learning...
As I wait, I’m releasing...
As I wait, I’m trusting...

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Make sure to follow Blake Roberts on Substack and Instagram.

Today’s poem came from the book Getting Through What You’re Going Through.

It’s a collection of poems, essays, and other hopeful words written to meet you where you are and gently guide you forward. Whether you’re navigating a difficult season or just need a reminder that you’re not alone, this book offers comfort, perspective, and a quiet sense of encouragement.

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