WiW: Waiting

Waiting. It’s one of the most difficult tasks of my life.

For someone who hates to waste time, who wants to pack every moment full of something, waiting is terrible.

“I want to get on with my life,” I say.

I’m tired of waiting around for so and so to “talk it over”, for one or the other to “think about it.” I’m tired of waiting to get the okay from the higher ups, of waiting for the lower downs to catch up to where I’m at. I’m tired of waiting until I’m married, or until I have children, or until I own a house.

Waiting is hard.

But waiting isn’t wasted time.

“The active waiter finds purpose in every moment. She eagerly grabs hold of life and squeezes adventure and possibility out of each situation. Through the waiting, she develops an enviable trust in God. Psalm 37:3-7 describes the active waiter:

Trust in the Lord and do good [by reaching out to others];
Dwell in the land [make your home, settle down, be at peace where God puts you].
Delight yourself in the Lord [make the Lord your only joy], and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your life [totally and unreservedly] to the Lord;
Trust in him and he will do this…
Be still before the Lord and
Wait patiently for him.

Trust, dwell, delight, commit, be still, and wait are all imperatives–they are not suggestions but commands. But of all the commands in Psalm 37, “wait patiently” is the most difficult. We can do this only if we have knelt at the altar of God’s timetable with open hands and an open heart and prayed:

‘But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand.’ (Psalm 31:14-15)”

~From Gift-Wrapped by God by Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus

Waiting has a purpose. Whatever its temporal purpose, it has a long-lasting purpose that far surpasses the momentary agony.

In it, I learn to trust in Christ. I learn to cling to Him. I learn to make Him my heart’s delight.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
~James 1:2-4

Even if I die still waiting, my waiting will be worth it. For I will not die lacking. I will have Christ–and Him plus nothing equals everything.

Don’t forget to take a look at Barbara H’s meme “The Week in Words”, where bloggers collect quotes they’ve read throughout the week.