Wait For It.....

I am a most impatient person.  I hate waiting for anything and have often said that I'd rather arrive late to an event than arrive early to one.  Just waiting for something to begin irritates me.  Why am I so impatient?  Is everyone else as impatient as I am or did I get an extra dose somehow?  This blog is about what I think about and lately I've been thinking about waiting. 

God designed waiting from the beginning.   He created everything; He must take credit for the 'wait'.  Nature itself is a waiting game.  Plant a garden today and you must wait for anything to grow.  Even your grandmother's apple pie takes a bit of time to reach the scrumptious level. 

There are several things I don't like about the wait.  Number one, I have to wait sometimes.  I don't even get a choice in the matter.  Whether it's waiting at the DMV for a new license or recovering from a sickness, there is no getting around the wait. 

Secondly, waiting stirs up emotion.  Hit the drive-thru for a 'quick' bite to eat and you end up waiting for half an eon.  Now you aren't just hungry, you're irritated and annoyed.  You find yourself talking to the person in front of you as if it were their fault the line isn't moving.  (We've ALL done that, haven't we?)  Plan a vacation several months in advance and the wait is an anxious, nervous one.  Daydreaming about the beach or adventure park occupies your mind and distracts you from matters at hand.  Waiting, droll in its nature, keeps your emotions on a roller coaster.  Too much emotion makes me feel bi-polar. 

Waiting isn't always worth it.  There is always the possibility of a let down.  Waiting to try the 'new and improved' whatever?  Try it.  Hate it.  Finally summon the courage to experience something different?  Try it.  Disappointed.

Lastly, I don't always know how long I'll have to wait for something.  Sometimes, I've got better things to do than wait around for something.  If I could just know how long the wait would be, I could make a logical decision of whether the wait is worth it or not.  I wish all waits had a countdown. 

Waiting must be necessary though.  Knowing our lives are but a vapor, God still made a point to incorporate waiting into our lives. Waiting produces what nothing else can.  It takes years for a tree to grow, be fruitful, and beneficial.  It takes months for a baby to grow in a womb.  For a child to grow into an adult.  The natural world requires time - a season of waiting - as does the spirit of man.

Some life lessons are learned quickly; there is no waiting period.  A stove is hot.  Wet sidewalks are slippery.  Make sure the toilet seat is down.  Other life lessons take years.  Not everyone wants to hear your opinion about everything.  Consistency is key.  You really are what you eat. 

God uses the waiting period all the time.   James 1:12 calls the wait a trial and a test. 

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 

Want more faith?  God will test the faith you have.  Want to trust God for everything?  You'll find yourself pushed to trust God in circumstances you could never imagine.  Circumstances that aren't usually a load of fun.  (By the way, never pray for patience.)  I have learned, however, the hardest trials I've ever had to face have created in me what nothing else could.  My relationship with God is stronger; my faith in Him is deeper.  To me, there is nothing more comforting than knowing the Lord knows me and knows what I'm going through.  The wait, when embraced, produces relationship.  Relationship is priceless. 

I guess waiting isn't all that bad.  Even when the waiting seems more like a root canal than a cup of Keurig coffee.

Until next time.