Wait.

Psalm 27:13-14
I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

I am finding that there is no other word in our English language that has as much frustration and protection built in to its foundational meaning. For example: It is 7:00 PM and you are hungry! As a family you decide to go out and eat your favorite food at your favorite restaurant. However, when you arrive, you’re faced with a dilemma. They have a 45-minute wait time. Your stomach lurches and groans as you know that if you don’t eat soon then you might fall over and die. You consider going to a different restaurant but your brain kicks in and says you want your favorite and so you will wait. What is 45 minutes anyway? So you sit there looking at your watch waiting for your name to be called. Have you ever noticed that time slows down when you pay too much attention to it? Those 45 minutes seem to be an eternity. You get impatient enough that you even get up after 25 minutes to talk to the host and make sure they have not forgotten about you. You see, we have all been through the waiting game, and we will all have the opportunity to walk through it many more times in this life. But what happens to us when the stakes are larger than just a dinner? What if you are waiting to hear back from a doctor’s test and they say that they will call you next week to let you know if the cancer treatment was a success or not? What if you have been waiting for your child to get home and they are over an hour late and you are unable to get a hold of them? What if that thing you were waiting to hear, to see, or to know could alter your life as you know it? Then we want it now! NOW! NOW! NOW!


Is it me or did I just sound like a child? There is only one being that I have met that seems to enjoy the process of waiting. He is the One that I have entrusted my whole life to and agree to submit to His schedule daily. He is my Lord and Savior. I assure you that His lack of expediency is not meant to frustrate, but it is instead full of teaching and wisdom. So many times He makes us wait because He is protecting us from ourselves. Other times, He is trying to prepare us for what He knows is in our future. I also believe that many times, He is allowing our example of living out life to be a witness for those around us. When those around us see that we have the ability to walk in patience, it gives validity to the faith we profess. It also gives the Lord glory as He unfolds His purposes and plans. How many times have you crossed the street holding a child’s hand and have had to make them wait because it was not yet time to cross the street? If they were to cross when their impulses told them to, it may be the last time they were to ever run again. Well, that is the picture of our Father in Heaven. The next time you are told to wait, don’t get mad and run. Don’t rebel against time and force your way across the street. Simply hold on tight to the hand of your Father, He will guide and protect you.


wait
verb- to stay in one place or do nothing for a period of time until something happens or in the expectation or hope that something will happen
noun- a period of time spent while expecting something to happen


A simple prayer,
Lord help me spend more time worried about holding on to your hand and listening to your voice than trying to figure out why you will not allow me to cross the street. I want my faith to grow but that will only happen if and when I stop trying lead the way. I am called to have faith in you not to talk you into having faith in me. Please forgive my ignorance.

Kristopher