Waiting is a strange concept in the 21st Century. And it’s relative. When you have to wait more than 5 minutes in a line at Target, you’re sure you’ve been waiting too long and begin to look around to see if another lane is opening. But if that 5 minutes is all you have left with a loved one, then it doesn’t seem nearly long enough. 30 minutes is too long to wait in traffic. But the first time you hold your newborn child, 30 minutes seems to pass quicker than a breath.
When most of us are told we must wait for something, our first reaction is to grumble, roll our eyes and let out a huge sigh of dissatisfaction, followed by the usual question, “How long is the wait?”. For the most part, we’ve all become very impatient people, living in a very “instant” world where most things we want can be attained in a matter of only a few minutes -- that is, if we even have to wait that long. We have instant coffee, microwave popcorn, ready-made-meals, and clothes that are already worn and torn without the nuisance of having to wear them out the good ‘ol fashion way...by wearing them...for years. And we don’t even have to wait for our nails to grow anymore. That’s what Press on Nails are for, right? Whatever it is we want, we’ve managed to find a way to get everything in this world, faster and smarter. But are all these things really smarter, or are they just faster while compromising the luxury of waiting and cultivating quality that can only be produced over a period of time; a period of waiting?
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before Him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness...I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope” (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 130:5). One of my favorite things to do while waiting in a line, traffic, or for a friend running late is to be thankful for the extra time to pray and worship my awesome Father God. When I worship while I wait (and there are many ways you can do that; be creative), waiting goes from being an unwanted guest to a pleasant visit from a refreshing friend! Waiting becomes a new way to worship Christ and provides new opportunities that pop up throughout the day to commune with my awesome God! Sometimes this waiting goes on for days, weeks, months and even years. But no matter the wait, I cherish every extra moment God gives me to worship Him and gaze upon His beauty!
“Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.” (Isaiah 30:18). I’ll tell you one thing I’m definitely thankful to have waited for; my husband! And boy, was he worth the wait! After many years of dating, in search of a spouse, it finally occurred to me; I had no idea what I needed, or even wanted in a husband. At age 20, I chose to wait on God and yield to His plan. I committed to the Lord that if it pleased Him, I knew that I’d be satisfied to stay single. I was done looking for “Mr. Right” because I realized I’d been with “Mr. Perfect” since I was four! Unbeknownst to me, a young, 22 year old, extremely handsome man (inside and out) was 2,000 miles away, praying the same prayer, having come to the same conclusion. One year after we both prayed this prayer, God moved my darling husband right next door to me! How convenient! We met on the third day after he arrived in California. And on our very first meeting, God made it clear to both of us that we had found the one we’d been waiting for.
Some people meet their soul mates when they’re little children and others in high school. God made us wait to meet one another at the appointed time He knew was right for us -- even when it hurt sometimes. But because God is abounding in compassion and full of mercy and wisdom, He was willing to allow us to experience some heartache so that we might more fully appreciate the gift He had waiting for us.
Thanks be to God for always working all things in His perfect timing and not in our impatient impulses!
