While You're Waiting
by Laura MacCorkle
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31, RSV
Do you get tired of waiting? I sure do.
Sadly, impatience just happens to be one of my specialities. And it shines the brightest whenever I am stuck on the phone, waiting on customer service. This has happened to me more often than not in recent years, as I've moved around quite a bit and have had to establish Internet access in each new dwelling.
As I'm sure you know, before you can actually speak to a real, live human being, you must go through a seemingly endless round of automated filtering. Answer this question, push this button, speak the last four digits, wait for the next instruction. Lather, rinse and repeat.
This can last for 10, 15, even 20 minutes or more sometimes. I know. I've done it. And it's during these times of waiting that I've become easily frustrated. Correction: I choose to become frustrated, and I choose to have a bad attitude.
I think Chuck Swindoll explains it nicely in his famous quote: "I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it."
Well, not long ago I was waiting (again!) to speak with someone about why my DSL was not working. But this time, I decided that I could be doing something while I waited. I didn't need to focus on the fact that I was having to wait and how uncomfortable that was making me and how it didn't fit in with my timeline or my plans for my day.
First, I punched the "Speakerphone" button on my phone and set it down. My hands were now free! Then, I decided I could work on a writing project on my computer or organize paperwork in my office. I could also go through the last several days' worth of mail or I could go over my schedule for the rest of the week. And I could even use my cell phone and return some calls, while my landline was tied up!
You see, in the blink of an attitude adjustment, I was feeling much differently about my situation. Instead of fussing and fuming, I was able to be productive and get some work accomplished that would otherwise have not gotten done.
This example teaches me that no matter the situation that makes me wait - as trivial as waiting in line at the grocery store to as serious as waiting for a mate - God is looking to see how I will respond. Am I getting out of the way, so that He may work in my life? Am I resting in His timing? Am I truly waiting on Him?
If we let go, God will lift us up. In our weakness, it is His strength that will help us adjust and refocus as we wait on Him.
Intersecting Faith & Life: When was the last time you had to wait? How did you respond? Did you grumble or did you take the opportunity to rest in God's timing for you? While you're waiting, ask how you can best serve Him.
Further Reading
Lamentations 3:25, RSV
Why Waiting Is Really Trusting
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