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Ministry Wives & Women is a podcast for ministry wives and women seeking encouragement, spiritual depth, and honest conversation for the journey of faith. everyday life, and the challenges of church leadership. Hosted by Andrea Griffith, each episode offers thoughtful wisdom, real stories, and gospel-centered hope to help women live with greater resilience, authenticity, and grace in every season.
[00:00] [Shannon O'Bryan] We do need those, you know, stones of remembrance, those specific things, those specific scriptures or words from the Lord to know that, yes, we— our yes was obedient.
[00:10] [Andrea Griffith] Yes.
[00:10] [Shannon O'Bryan] Because then we can have our ears open to hear what he has us to do in what feels like an empty season.
[00:17] [Katie Gallo] Yeah.
[00:19] [Andrea Griffith] Welcome to the Ministry Wives& Women podcast. This is a place where we openly address the challenging realities of ministry and point one another to Jesus and the gospel. Whether you're thriving, barely holding on, In between, you are not alone. I'm Andrea Griffith, and each episode brings honest conversations, biblical encouragement, and stories from women who understand this calling. This podcast is part of The Church Hub, where we're committed to strengthening ministry leaders and the families who walk with them. We're so glad you're here. We are talking about resiliency in the waiting. I don't know about you guys, But I do not like to wait. It is super hard for me. And I've got my good friends here, Shannon O'Brien and Katie Gallo, back to talk to us. Welcome back.
[01:14] [Katie Gallo] Thank you.
[01:15] [Andrea Griffith] And I just wonder, have y'all ever been waiting for something, and it was worth the wait? Like, tell me about a time that you waited, and it was actually worth it.
[01:27] [Katie Gallo] So, I— I was thinking something fun that we waited for. It was for my daughter when she was 4 years old. And it was at the height of Frozen, when you couldn't find an Elsa— they were— people were selling handmade Elsa dresses on eBay. I mean, it was all the rage of these Elsa dresses. So the Florida Mall had a Disney Store back in the day, and we waited hours in line With a ticket that was a possibility you might get called in this lottery to purchase, not get for free, to purchase an Elsa dress.
[02:05] [Andrea Griffith] Oh my goodness.
[02:06] [Katie Gallo] And we were called. And I mean, it just set the trajectory of her life to be queen, you know? She was just, felt like the most beautiful— she's 16 now, to put things in perspective. But oh my goodness, she wore that dress until the cape basically fell off. You know, we actually, we passed it to the cousins, but it was a little tattered and dirty. But it was, probably one of the most fun things we've waited for, to see the joy on her face.
[02:33] [Andrea Griffith] I love that. I love that.
[02:36] [Shannon O'Bryan] And we didn't say, but we're sisters. So that's my niece she's talking about. And I remember this memory, and it is actually amazing.
[02:43] [Andrea Griffith] So it's a good memory for you too, of the wait.
[02:46] [Shannon O'Bryan] And now my girls both got to wear the Elsa dress too.
[02:49] [Andrea Griffith] Oh, that's just so fun.
[02:51] [Katie Gallo] Just it wasn't as white. Yeah.
[02:54] [Shannon O'Bryan] Maybe, maybe not.
[02:55] [Katie Gallo] I don't remember.
[02:55] [Shannon O'Bryan] But they thought it was magical, so it doesn't matter.
[02:58] [Katie Gallo] Yes, that's so fun.
[03:00] [Andrea Griffith] How about you, Shannon?
[03:01] [Shannon O'Bryan] The memory that comes to mind for me was a harder, a harder wait, but definitely worth the wait. So John and I and our 4 kids, we were missionaries in Mexico. And to get over there, there's a lot of paperwork that has to be done. And then there is a portion of it that you have to do in person at the embassy. And so, and the embassy was in Orlando, so we live on the East Coast. So The day before our appointment, which is a huge, big deal appointment, my, uh, my second-born son hurt himself so badly that he had to go to the ER and get stitches.
[03:41] [Andrea Griffith] Oh, no.
[03:42] [Shannon O'Bryan] And so, now this little boy has just had stitches. He was like 8 years old, you know, and now he's having to suck it up. He's, you know, bandaged and everything and get in the car, drive to Orlando, and then Oh my goodness. You literally can't bring anything to do. You can't bring any, like, electronics in. It was just like, you know, let me just bring like a spiral notebook and some crayons or something. I mean, it was just so— it was torturous. You know, my girls were like 2 and 3 years old, or maybe they were 3 and 4 at this point. Yeah, Timmy is injured and just miserable. My oldest is, you know, like 10 or 11, just trying to like corral everyone and like be the big brother and like keep everyone happy as me and Dad are trying to stay focused on what we have to focus on to get us through this, this, you know, system to be approved to be able to, to move and live in Mexico. It was horrible, but it was worth the wait. And thankfully, we all walked out of there with our pictures on a, you know, a visa card and, you know, saying that we could cross the border and live there, you know, kind of indefinitely.
[04:51] [Andrea Griffith] I should have Googled, like, I'm sure there's a statistic that tells us how long you wait in your life. You know how they, they tell you how much of your life is spent sleeping.
[05:00] [Katie Gallo] Yeah, exactly.
[05:00] [Andrea Griffith] I wonder if out there on Google or something, there's something that tells you how much of your life you spend waiting. Like waiting in a grocery store line, waiting to pump gas into your car, waiting for food to cook, waiting— I mean, just waiting to get visas, waiting to get that special dress. For me, I waited and waited to get a dog. I remember asking my parents for years, I want a dog, I want a dog. And when I was 6 years old, I had the chickenpox at Christmas.
[05:33] [Katie Gallo] Oh, wow.
[05:33] [Andrea Griffith] And none of— I'm the oldest in all the family. So, none of the cousins had had it yet. My brother and sister hadn't had it. So, while they all do Christmas in the front of the house, in the living room, I'm in the back bedroom somewhere with chickenpox, you know, all over. And my dad walks in with this cocker spaniel. Oh, they're so cute.
[05:56] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yes.
[05:57] [Andrea Griffith] The cocker spaniel on the bed. And so, for Christmas Day, it was worth the wait, guys. And I had that dog for years. That was just the best dog. In fact, when he died, he was an outside dog. This was back in the day when it was okay to have outside dogs.
[06:13] [Katie Gallo] Yes.
[06:14] [Andrea Griffith] And we lived in the South, and it was warm and everything. And he slept on the back porch that was covered. But the night that he died, he walked around our house, and he came to my window, and put his little paws up on my window. And then And he went and laid under a tree, and we found him the next morning, and he had died. But that dog and I were tight, you know, for like 13 years, we were tight. Yeah, I can imagine. Yeah, so that dog—
[06:40] [Shannon O'Bryan] That is so sweet.
[06:41] [Andrea Griffith] He was worth the wait. He was worth the wait. And we tell you those stories because you may be in a season of waiting right now, and you're like, is it worth it? Is it ever gonna end? I ask that question a lot, like, will this be worth the wait? This is heavy, and it's long. So, Shannon, I would love for you to tell me about a time or season that God has kept you waiting? And how have you come to know the Lord more deeply because of that season?
[07:09] [Shannon O'Bryan] The story that comes to mind is when we went to Mexico on the mission field, we did go with a specific purpose, and that was they had started a ship ministry with a large ship, like a 100-foot vessel, to be able to use to deliver different mercy ministries, including medicine. My husband and I are both physician assistants, as a bridge for the Gospel. to isolated people groups along the Sea of Cortez. And so we went with the expectation and excitement to help start this medical mission arm of the ministry that we were going to join that had many other well-established ministries already.
[07:48] [Katie Gallo] Yeah.
[07:48] [Shannon O'Bryan] And we got there and the ship was almost done. And that was in 2018. And the ship was in the shipyard for About 3 to 4 years following our arrival.
[08:05] [Andrea Griffith] What?
[08:07] [Katie Gallo] What?
[08:08] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yes. So, um, and even one— okay, so again, we got there, we were literally there for the ship's dedication. It was in April of 2018, and we were there for the dedication. It was in the shipyard at that time, but it was almost done.
[08:20] [Andrea Griffith] Okay.
[08:20] [Shannon O'Bryan] Um, our joke became it was 2 weeks. Everything was always like, it's gonna be done in 2 weeks. Oh my goodness. And I mean, literally, we had to stop saying it because it actually became hurtful.
[08:30] [Andrea Griffith] Oh, because I hear that wound. It's like, this isn't even funny anymore.
[08:36] [Shannon O'Bryan] Oh, Shannon. But there was just, you know, many, many different things that happened that were huge things that had to be taken care of. Like I said, this is a very big vessel. This is a very old vessel. It was from, I think it was built in the 1940s or something. And I mean, so there were just issues that had to be taken care of. And it wasn't anybody's fault. It wasn't You know, it just was the facts of life. And, um, and then of course COVID hit. And so everything came to a standstill with even in the product, you know, in production and in the shipyard and everything. But, and then even once it got in the water, just to get all of the paperwork done that we had to get done to be able to get the flag to be able to sail, even that ended up becoming an issue, you know, with just all the steps of, of just legality of having a vessel like this. Oh my goodness.
[09:23] [Andrea Griffith] Oh my goodness.
[09:24] [Shannon O'Bryan] Because we weren't a commercial vessel, but we also weren't a private vessel. So we were this weird in-between vessel that's transporting people, transporting goods, but not owned by just like one random individual person, owned by this entity, you know, by this mission organization. And it was, I mean, it was a nightmare. And many, many moments were very much like, like, why didn't we just like sink this ship and be done with it? Like, we're done. But— I don't think that would have been the answer, but—
[09:52] [Katie Gallo] No, no.
[09:53] [Shannon O'Bryan] Like a good idea. I would prefer it to be at the bottom of the sea in many different moments, you know, go join SpongeBob. But in the end, honestly, the team that needed to be built to run a ministry like this that we were envisioning and that God was preparing us for, it needed to have so much resilience and so much strength because there are so many challenges that come with the type of ministry that was going to be done with this vessel.
[10:19] [Andrea Griffith] Okay.
[10:20] [Shannon O'Bryan] And so there was just teamwork that was being built. There were just— there was faith. And just that belief and trust that God does have this in the palm of His hands, and that He does care about it. And then there were other things that happened in the waiting, ministries that if I had been traveling with the ship, for example, would not have started, one of which was a school for the missionary kids on our base, and in our city, really, not just our kids. And I look back, and I'm like, that school would never have started if we had been sailing already.
[10:56] [Katie Gallo] Yeah.
[10:56] [Shannon O'Bryan] And I mean, there were many other things like that. that, that were, um, that were— it literally would not have happened if the ship had already been sailing.
[11:04] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[11:05] [Shannon O'Bryan] And so I can look back now with that hindsight being 20/20 and, and appreciate the wait and say it was definitely worth it. But there were times in there that I was ready to just like be like, done. Where's the, you know, hit the, hit the eject button.
[11:17] [Andrea Griffith] I'm outta here.
[11:18] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yeah. Yeah.
[11:20] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah. I think that's what's so hard is like staying in. Like we wanna fix it, And when we can't fix it, then maybe then we start to want to flee. You know, just get me out, God. I did not sign up for this. And then I think we go to despair. You know, just all these emotions in the midst of the wait. You know, it's not easy. So, Katie, how do you process the tension between trusting God's goodness, like, you know, he's good, you know, he's called us to this. And feeling like your life is just on hold.
[11:56] [Katie Gallo] I have struggled with this because I—
[12:01] [Andrea Griffith] I think we all have. Yeah.
[12:03] [Katie Gallo] I remember, you know, the song, The Goodness of God, and it's called like, you know, it says, your goodness is running after me. Whenever that song plays, it's that reminder that his goodness is chasing me, because it talks about that. I think it like might even be in Psalm 23, that like your loving, like your mercy will chase me all the days of my life, or your goodness will follow me. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.
[12:24] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yeah.
[12:24] [Katie Gallo] But like, it's, it's, I remember that's like a military term, that it is after us. Like, you know, the military, when they have their sights set on something, will not stop until that is, you know, they find it. And that's like the way God pursues us in his goodness. And I just love that. But during that time where you feel like your life is on hold, or you're like, God, what's your timing here? What are you doing? And it really brings me back to that attitude of gratitude. Because when I stop for a minute and stop like wallowing in my own self-pity or wallowing in what God isn't doing that I thought he was going to do, or feeling like, okay, what's my problem solve? What am I going to do now? You know? And I start saying, Lord, what have you given me that is so— it's from you and you alone.
[13:14] [Shannon O'Bryan] Mm-hmm.
[13:15] [Katie Gallo] And I start going through my list of things that I'm thankful for. are only— can only come from him, that it completely changes my perspective on whatever it is that I'm missing at the time. Because then my perspective is, but God has done this and this and this. And that gratitude shapes my heart differently. And it gives me this different view on my situation that feels a little bit hopeless.
[13:41] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yeah.
[13:41] [Katie Gallo] Because I know that he's good, because I am seeing his goodness. Also, Just thinking about some of those times when you're on hold, seasons of trees. I've thought about this, that, you know, when trees— so I'm from Florida, born and raised. My husband's actually from New Jersey. So we lived in New Jersey when we first got married. And that's the first time I ever experienced true seasons. Granted, we're sensitive to our seasons here in Florida, we have them a little bit. But in New Jersey, I mean, they're full out, the trees, you know, look like they're dead, everything loses its leaves, it looks dormant and gray. And nothing really looks pretty.
[14:18] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yeah.
[14:19] [Katie Gallo] And you think like, man, everything just looks dead right now in that winter season. And I actually, I've looked it up because I was curious about this, what actually happens to trees during this time. And what they do, they drop their leaves to preserve water and energy for the next season that they're going to have abundant flowering and leaves, and maybe it's fruit. But it's not because they are dying. They aren't even dead. They're literally taking that season of rest and of waiting and of preserving what they know that they are for the season when it's their time to do whatever it is that they were called to do, whether it be an apple tree or whether it be a, you know, I don't know, like something beautiful with flowers. Like a dogwood. Oh my goodness, the dogwoods. That's the first time I— I mean, it looked like it was raining flowers. I just was amazed. But I just, I think that that's those times that it's like, sometimes God has us on hold for the work he's doing within us. And it's to preserve us and keep us for that next season that He wants to use us. So we have to respect that time and allow God to work in us.
[15:31] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah, I agree. I've, in my waiting times that I don't like, I want to be doing, I want to be going, but it gives you a time to see what's really going on, what you really believe. And put those roots of faith down a lot deeper.
[15:53] [Katie Gallo] Definitely.
[15:54] [Andrea Griffith] And even calling to mind, remembering God's faithfulness in the past, I think fuels our resilience for the moment. You know, even if I just make out a list in my time with the Lord, like, but God, I've seen you do this. And God, I remember waiting on this, and look what you did there. And I thought, God, it would go this way. But you had it go this way. You were doing— I love the John Piper quote that says, God's doing 10,000 things all at once, but we may only see 3.
[16:28] [Katie Gallo] Right.
[16:29] [Andrea Griffith] You know, he is working. He is letting the leaves fall off.
[16:33] [Katie Gallo] Yes.
[16:33] [Andrea Griffith] Because he's rebuilding and he's growing. But it's really hard to sit in it.
[16:40] [Katie Gallo] Yes.
[16:40] [Andrea Griffith] You know, in the moment.
[16:43] [Katie Gallo] Yes.
[16:43] [Andrea Griffith] In, in those times of waiting. Shannon, what did you see about God as you had those 5 years of waiting? I mean, God called you to do this ministry. You get the visa, you learn the language, you uproot your entire family, you move to Mexico, and then you sit for 5 years. Did you have takeaways from that time?
[17:11] [Shannon O'Bryan] Well, I mean, as she was talking, I think one of the big takeaways for me was not finding my identity.
[17:17] [Katie Gallo] Yes.
[17:18] [Shannon O'Bryan] In that thing I'm waiting for. Because like, if you're a tree and you're looking ugly and like staying standing there with bare, you know, bare, and that's what you're finding your identity in, then it feels really ugly.
[17:32] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[17:33] [Shannon O'Bryan] You know, and so I think, yeah, and it feels like you're bringing nothing to the table.
[17:39] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[17:39] [Shannon O'Bryan] You know, and I think one of the things that the Lord taught me is that in those times when I feel ugly, or I feel like I'm bringing nothing, like he is doing a deep work.
[17:50] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[17:51] [Shannon O'Bryan] And, and to honor that, like she was saying, and like to, um, to continue to be willing to let him use me in whatever ways that he's asking me to be used. Because like you said, we thought we were going for a certain reason. And I would say probably in about my first year there, I remember saying to Jon, we were sitting on the couch, and I said, can you imagine If this ship, like, doesn't sail before God calls us out of here? And he was like, well, and you know, my husband being the man of faith, he is a huge man of faith. He was like, well, I mean, if it doesn't, then we've been obedient with God, what God asked us to do. And I'm like, oh, I would be devastated. Like, what? Don't speak those words in my presence, you know?
[18:37] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[18:40] [Shannon O'Bryan] And that's honestly what happened. We did end up going out on the ship for a pleasure tour, you know, like I joke, like for the 3-hour cruise kind of thing. We did go overnight, and the children got to come, and that was amazing. And I'm so grateful that our team took us on that trip so that we could sleep in the boat and really experience what it's going to be like. But we did not do one bit of ministry using the ship during all of our years in Mexico.
[19:05] [Andrea Griffith] Wow. Wow.
[19:10] [Shannon O'Bryan] Again, God called me specifically. John has his own story, and it's also an incredible story, but I won't tell his. But for me, one of the things He said to me in that first year was He said, you're here to be a missionary to the missionaries. And I'm so thankful that He gave me that word, because if I hadn't had that, I would have felt like a bare tree that's just sitting there looking ugly.
[19:32] [Andrea Griffith] Yes.
[19:34] [Shannon O'Bryan] But the Lord gave me that word, and I embraced it. And I said, okay, Lord, what do these people need?
[19:40] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[19:40] [Shannon O'Bryan] You know?
[19:40] [Andrea Griffith] So good.
[19:42] [Shannon O'Bryan] And what do you want me to do? And he asked me to do things that I was completely unequipped for. Never in my wildest dreams would imagine I would do these things.
[19:52] [Andrea Griffith] Wow.
[19:52] [Shannon O'Bryan] And yet those were the things he was asking me to do.
[19:55] [Andrea Griffith] Wow.
[19:56] [Shannon O'Bryan] Like, so, so clearly. And I was just like, okay.
[20:00] [Katie Gallo] Yeah.
[20:01] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yeah.
[20:02] [Andrea Griffith] Okay. And you heard him.
[20:03] [Shannon O'Bryan] Mm-hmm.
[20:04] [Andrea Griffith] And you obeyed.
[20:05] [Katie Gallo] Yep.
[20:06] [Andrea Griffith] And who knows? I can't wait till we get to heaven to see just the fruit from those times that we We felt like we were bare trees with no leaves. And to see God's perspective on that time.
[20:18] [Shannon O'Bryan] And the ship is sailing now, and they're doing ministry, and it's beautiful. And I'm so excited for them. But yeah, but we're— that wasn't what he had us there for. And I think so often we, we misassume what God has us in different places for. I mean, the important part is that we're obedient. And so that's awesome. But like, if we— if things aren't going the way we thought they would, like, Instead of throwing in the towel or saying, never mind, I'm out of here. This isn't what I signed up for. Like realizing, no, I actually gave God my yes. I know for sure this is what he asked me to do. So let me, you know, put my wisdom, you know, in the backseat.
[20:53] [Andrea Griffith] Yes.
[20:54] [Shannon O'Bryan] And my abilities and my gifts and my talents and whatever it is I thought I was bringing to the table.
[20:58] [Andrea Griffith] Yes.
[20:58] [Shannon O'Bryan] In the backseat and say, okay, Lord, I know you're— I know you called us here. And that's why we do need those, you know, stones of remembrance, those specific things, those specific scriptures. Or words from the Lord to know that, yes, we are— our yes was obedient.
[21:14] [Andrea Griffith] Yes.
[21:14] [Shannon O'Bryan] Because then we can have our ears open to hear what he has us to do in what feels like an empty season.
[21:21] [Katie Gallo] Yeah, I think sometimes God does— knows what he needs to do to get us there. You know, because if God would have just said, hey, I want you to move to Mexico and start a homeschool with your kids, Shan would have been like, no, that's not me. Whose word is that for? Let me like scroll through my phone contacts because I know God didn't tell me that. Because she's always in medicine, you know, as her sister, like, that's her expertise is in medicine. Yeah.
[21:46] [Shannon O'Bryan] And she's the educator. She has a degree in teaching, not me.
[21:49] [Andrea Griffith] Wow.
[21:50] [Katie Gallo] So we had a lot of conversations about all of these things. But it was just interesting. But God knew what it would take to get them there. And then once they were there, knowing that they were surrendered to whatever he had, then things started shifting and changing. And, but, but what they did was Because they kept their hands open, like we had talked about. They allowed the Lord to do things that were outside of their comfort zone, and then saw him fill in the gaps.
[22:23] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[22:24] [Shannon O'Bryan] Well, and that's what I was gonna say, when you feel like you're at your wit's end, and there were definitely times when I did, and, you know, Katie is well aware of them. I don't remember if I said that she's my sister, but she's my sister. The Lord would send people, like literal physical people that would come to our place of ministry and be like, So I'm a teacher. I taught for, you know, I taught for 45 years. I actually worked on the mission field for 10 of them. Is there any way you could use me?
[22:51] [Katie Gallo] Oh my goodness.
[22:52] [Shannon O'Bryan] Oh my goodness. I don't know why we're here, but we just felt like Mazatlán was the place we were supposed to be. Or, I've been homeschooling my kids for 20-something years. And, you know, I just felt like the Lord wanted me to come here for 3 months. Could you use me?
[23:05] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah, that's so great.
[23:06] [Shannon O'Bryan] And I'm like, what?
[23:07] [Andrea Griffith] That's so great.
[23:08] [Katie Gallo] But it was neat because, you know, it was part of sacrifice on Shannon's part because it wasn't her number one thing that she liked to do. But her kids felt the love of Jesus through it.
[23:19] [Shannon O'Bryan] That's true.
[23:20] [Katie Gallo] And so her kids also going to a foreign country had a place of safety, a place of friendship. I mean, there were multiple kids in the class that spoke, I don't know how many languages, like sometimes 5 different languages in the same class. But one thing that's mutual is love and fun and kicking a soccer ball around and having a place that you belong. So That created this space for her kids in this season that was different than the season she thought she was being called to. So it was a wait, it was a waiting season for like, okay, well, this isn't what I'm good at necessarily. But God gave her the gifts for that season and imparted to her what was needed, and then helped her kids stay healthy, mentally speaking, and emotionally and spiritually speaking, because she was there.
[24:05] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah, it just brings us back to, I don't know what is best. There's only one who He does. And he does all things well. And so I loved how you said, Shannon, I just put my yes on the table. Like, we just signed at the bottom of the paper, and we're letting God fill in what's actually on the paper. And we just put our yes out there. And the other thing that it made me think of is, you know, when Paul said, um, in your weakness, God's strength is made strong, is seen, is made manifest. And it was like, your strength was medicine.
[24:42] [Shannon O'Bryan] Mm-hmm.
[24:42] [Andrea Griffith] That's where you felt comfortable. That's what you thought you were going to do is, I'm going to give to all these people out of the strength, out of what I've prepared my life for, for years. You know, all the study, all the medical school, all the things you've done. And then God shifted it and moved you to a place of weakness.
[25:01] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yeah.
[25:02] [Andrea Griffith] And in that weakness, He was made strong. And you created this safe place for people, for kids, for the other missionaries. You know, we just don't always know.
[25:15] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yeah.
[25:16] [Andrea Griffith] So in our waiting, how does the cross address all the doubts that we have in the waiting? Like, is God good? Does God love me? Is there a plan? How does the cross address all those questions that we're asking ourselves in our hearts?
[25:36] [Shannon O'Bryan] Well, I mean, I think I love the, the now and not yet is, is something that we talked about and touched on, but You know, I think I've— this is something else that has become so real to me is the— that we are created for forever hellos and never goodbyes.
[25:54] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[25:55] [Shannon O'Bryan] You know, we've talked about that. And, and I think that is something that when we see in light of eternity, like that we are in the Shadowlands, you know, to quote C.S. Lewis, you know, like that, that is something that the good things is just a shadow of what is to come that's good.
[26:17] [Andrea Griffith] Of what will be.
[26:18] [Shannon O'Bryan] And then, exactly. And then the bad things, it's because we are living in a broken world.
[26:24] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[26:25] [Shannon O'Bryan] And so, all of the bad and the sad and the hard and the horrific, you know, it— we aren't made for that.
[26:34] [Katie Gallo] Right.
[26:34] [Shannon O'Bryan] You know? And And because of the cross, even if we don't see it on earth, in eternity, we will see it all made right again. And all of the harm will be undone, you know.
[26:46] [Andrea Griffith] So you look to eternity as you rest.
[26:48] [Shannon O'Bryan] I do. Like that eternal perspective is what helps me.
[26:52] [Andrea Griffith] That's so great. How about you, Katie?
[26:53] [Katie Gallo] I think about grace, just because He gives us that allotment of grace in the waiting.
[27:00] [Andrea Griffith] In the wait, yeah.
[27:01] [Katie Gallo] So because the cross is all about grace and what He's done that we don't deserve, and that we could never repay that. That, that he'll also do that for me in my waiting. He will give me the grace necessary to look forward with hope.
[27:16] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[27:17] [Katie Gallo] And because that's what the cross was, so that we have eternity with him. Like Shannon said, it's, it's— there was a reason for the cross so that our sins could be forgiven, and that we will spend forever in eternity. And so when you look at that in light Like, life is a blink in light of eternity.
[27:37] [Shannon O'Bryan] Yeah.
[27:38] [Katie Gallo] So as long as we feel like we're waiting in these seasons, if you're a young mom, and you're like, they're gonna be little forever, I can assure you, they grow up way too fast. Or if you're in the season of young adult, and just waiting to see what the Lord has for them and kind of anticipating it, and you're feeling like, you know, a little bit like, oh, I want to help. How do I help? How do I— and just all of those things that it is God's grace that gets you through each of those seasons. Knowing that it's gonna pass, and the Lord will bring you to the next season, and his grace will meet you in the next season as well.
[28:13] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah, his grace is sufficient. Lately, when I haven't felt like doing things, I've just reminded myself, like, I'm like, God, I don't have the energy for this today. And instead, I've thought, his grace is sufficient. You know, there's enough, step into it, his grace will meet you there.
[28:30] [Katie Gallo] Yes.
[28:31] [Andrea Griffith] I think for me, it was a long 4-year season of waiting for me, as you guys know. And now God has opened And I've opened another door of ministry, but I'm still in the wait. Like, I'm still waiting for him to do these things that I'm just praying for and asking him for. And I'm waiting still. So, I mean, from one focus of waiting to now a different focus of waiting, but I'm still waiting.
[28:54] [Katie Gallo] Yeah.
[28:55] [Andrea Griffith] And when I think about the cross, I just think about the verse in Romans 8, where it says, if God did not spare his own Son, but he gave us his Son, how will he not much more give Yes. And so I'm like, if God has me in the wait, there is a reason, because He's not gonna withhold. Like, He gave me Jesus to die for me, to walk with me every day, to provide the grace for me. He gave me Jesus. So if these things are being withheld, and I'm waiting, there is a reason, because He gave me the very best. Will He not much more give me everything else I need for life and godliness? And the answer is, yes. Yes, he will.
[29:42] [Shannon O'Bryan] Well, and I think it just reminds you that it's about that journey with him.
[29:46] [Andrea Griffith] Oh, yes.
[29:47] [Shannon O'Bryan] Because I think we all are waiting for something at some point.
[29:51] [Andrea Griffith] Did you know in the scripture, that's one of our identities as believers? We are the ones waiting. We are waiting for him to come back. So it is like we've been talking about, we can wear the badge, I'm a child of God. We can also wear the badge, the name badge, I am a waiter, because we're always gonna be waiting for something. Yeah.
[30:11] [Shannon O'Bryan] And I think the older we get, though, the more we realize realize like that fact. Because I think, I don't know, when I was younger, I was always looking for that next goal of like what I'm going to be accomplishing and like try to get to that goal and accomplish it. And so, the waiting like felt like, well, I'm just trying to accomplish a goal. But I didn't realize that it would just lead to another wait.
[30:29] [Andrea Griffith] Just lead to another goal and another wait. Yes.
[30:32] [Shannon O'Bryan] And so, it's about that journey with Jesus and like becoming who God wants you to be and who he's making you to be. And it's not really about the goal that we're waiting for.
[30:41] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah. And it's not about us. us making ourselves into that person.
[30:46] [Shannon O'Bryan] Right.
[30:47] [Andrea Griffith] But the hands are open. God, whether I sit in Mexico for 5 years waiting for the ship to sail out—
[30:54] [Katie Gallo] Yeah.
[30:55] [Andrea Griffith] You're the director of the journey, not me. You're the author of the story. So I'm going to keep my hands open, and I'm going to wait with hope as you give me the grace. So thank you guys again. Just such wisdom, such authenticity, such life of walking with God and waiting with him. So I just appreciate you guys driving all the way here, taking the time to just be part of our conversation. Thank you.
[31:23] [Shannon O'Bryan] Thanks for having us.
[31:24] [Katie Gallo] Thank you so much.
[31:24] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah.
[31:25] [Katie Gallo] And the feeling's mutual.
[31:26] [Andrea Griffith] Yeah, we're all in that wait. So thank you for walking us all home together toward eternity. I'm grateful that I get to walk with you guys as sisters in Christ. Christ, as we're on the journey toward Jesus forever. Amen.
[31:41] [Katie Gallo] Can't wait. Can't wait for that.
[31:43] [Andrea Griffith] Yes, come Jesus, come. And thank you for taking the time to be a part of our Church Hub podcast for ministry wives. I hope this has encouraged you, whether you're in a season of waiting or if you're in a season of busyness, just keeping those hands open in surrender before the Lord and saying, God, walk with God, do whatever in me you need to do to make me more like you. And the good news is, he is faithful and he will do it. Thanks for joining us today. If you'd like to learn more about The Church Hub and how we're strengthening ministry leaders and the families who walk with them, you can visit thechurchhub.org. Until we meet again, I'll be praying that you experience the new The nearness of Jesus.
[32:30] [Katie Gallo] The nearness of Jesus.