• Skip to main content
  • Account
  • Cart
  • Change Country

Insight for Living

The Bible-Teaching Ministry of Pastor Chuck Swindoll

  • Home
  • Broadcasts
    • Current Broadcast
    • Broadcast Schedule
    • Broadcast Archive
    • Series Library
    • STS Bible Studies
    • Ways to Listen
    • Sunday Services
    • Paws & Tales
  • Resources
    • Daily Devotional
    • Insights on the Bible
    • Insights by Topic
    • Article Library
    • Church Leaders
    • Church Resources
    • How to Know God
    • Chuck’s Next Book
    • Video Library
    • Reframing Ministries
  • International
    • About Vision 195
    • International Pastors
    • International Offices
  • Connect
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
    • Social Media
    • Mobile App
    • Share Your Testimony
    • Bible Questions and Counseling
    • Pray for IFL
  • About
    • Essential Beliefs
    • Chuck Swindoll
    • Questions about Chuck
    • Leadership
    • Where Donations Go
    • Work With Us
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Store
  • Donate
    • Give Now
    • Give Monthly
    • My Account
    • Giving Through Stock Transfers
    • Planned Giving
    • Giving History
    • Why Give
    • This Month’s Letter
Home » Biblical Resources » Article Library » Second Homes

Helpful Links

  • FAQS
  • Contact Us
  • Social Media
  • Mobile App
  • Share Your Testimony
  • Bible Questions and Counseling
  • Pray for IFL

Article Library

Follow us:
Facebook
X
Instagram
YouTube
Pinterest

Second Homes


By Colleen Swindoll Thompson


There is a place I sometimes used to call my second home: the waiting room. I’ll never forget the hours I spent with my special-needs son in waiting rooms—rooms with foam-filled sofas, tattered magazines, crying children, and tired-looking people who were staring at smudged, blandly painted walls. If there were windows, I watched the outside world whirl by—beautiful women out and about, men in pressed suits connected to cell phones. I would get stuck in my thoughts . . . somewhere between envious and anxious, weary and worried. I wondered when the waiting would end.

Maybe you have been there or are there now, feeling secluded, lonesome, or friendless. I felt guilty at times, not attending to my other children. I would ask myself, “Who will make their meals or help them with their homework or listen to their day? I called those days “mazy” days . . . because I felt as though I had no map, no short cuts, and no destination.

Today, I’ve come to realize those experiences were not about “waiting,” though it sometimes felt that way. God has not forgotten you, though it might feel that way. I remember writing thank you notes; reading excellent “theological” magazines like People, In Style, and Fitness; eating chips and salsa; filing my nails; twisting my hair; and hating the slow passing of time. Then, (duh) I picked up my Bible and began to search in it for words like alone, help, wait, how long, and sorrow. I discovered that, really, the One waiting was Jesus, invisibly present and patiently longing for me to turn to Him for help. With all distractions removed, God reached into my soul and filled it with His truth. It’s not always fun, but it’s the making of who you are.

Recently, I came across this poem that I hope brings comfort to you today. After you read it, pick up God’s Word, and be filled with His love and care for you.

I thank God for bitter things;
They’ve been a ‘friend to grace’;
They’ve driven me from paths of ease
To storm the secret place.

I thank Him for the friends who failed
To fill my heart’s deep need;
They’ve driven me to the Savior’s feet,
Upon His love to feed.

I’m grateful too, through all life’s way
No one could satisfy,
And so I’ve found in God alone
My rich, my full supply!¹


  1. Florence White Willett, as quoted in Charles R. Swindoll, Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit(Nashville: W Publishing, 2002), 242.

About the author

Colleen Swindoll Thompson

Colleen Swindoll Thompson holds a bachelor of arts degree in Communication from Trinity International University as well as minors in psychology and education. Colleen serves as the director of Reframing Ministries at Insight for Living Ministries. From the personal challenges of raising a child with disabilities (her son Jonathan), Colleen offers help, hope, and a good dose of humor through speaking, writing, and counseling those affected by disability. Colleen and her husband, Toban, have five children and reside in Frisco, Texas.

More articles by Colleen Swindoll Thompson

Why Give?

Watch Video

Why Support Insight for Living Ministries

In this short video, Chuck Swindoll explains that Insight for Living can not continue financially without the generosity of loyal friends just like you.

A Timeless, Reliable Guide

Pastor Chuck’s five-message series delivered from the pulpit right before he retired has been compiled into a hardback book. Looking in All the Right Directions is a must-have treasure of wisdom on subjects dear to Chuck’s heart.

Footer

Insight for Living Broadcast

For 33 years I have been in what feels like a very oppressive marriage. Chuck’s messages along with his "Swindoll Insights," as well as Chuck’s willingness to share his own struggles, have helped me stay on God's mission. —D. W. from California

Help Us Impact Listeners’ Lives

Let’s Keep in Contact

Areas of Interest

Contact Permission

By clicking the "Sign up" button below, I am requesting to receive e-mail communications from Insight for Living, and I agree to allow my personal data to be processed according to their privacy policy.

Welcome

  • Our Mission
  • Chuck Swindoll
  • Essential Beliefs
  • Vision 195
  • How to Know God
  • The Book Shoppe & Coffee

Resources

  • Insights by Topic
  • Insights on the Bible
  • Article Library
  • Daily Devotional
  • Videos
  • Church Resources

Donate

  • Donate Now
  • Stock Transfers
  • Wills and Estate Planning
  • Why Support IFL?
  • Where Donations Go
  • My Donations

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • FAQs / Email
  • International Offices
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Rights & Permissions

© 2025 Insight for Living. All rights reserved.

Follow us:
Facebook
X
Instagram
YouTube
Pinterest