A month ago when I last wrote about waiting, I certainly had no idea I’d be sitting in basically the same spot writing once again about waiting. However, once again I’m writing from a hospital room while I sit with my mom and wait. Our family has done a lot of waiting over the last several weeks and it has led me to realize that people wait much differently. Some worry and play the “what if” game. Others distract themselves by trying to stay busy, perhaps even over busy so they don’t have time to think. Still others try to rush along whatever they are waiting for by fighting for control and pushing back against the people and systems making them wait. Then you have a some people who wait by sitting in silence, somehow holding all the emotion inside. That one is hard for me to understand, since I tend to have a hard time keeping stuff inside. I’m sure this list isn’t all inclusive, but lastly there are a set of people who’s waiting style I long to have one day, they truly inspire me. These are the people that pray about whatever situation and then simply wait on God, 100% positive that He not only heard them, but that He will answer. #Goals.

Who likes to wait? No one that I know of, myself included. Waiting makes me irritable and cranky. Little things tend to cause a bigger reaction than necessary. I complain about pretty much everything, my patience (what little there was in the beginning) goes out the window, I slam things around, fuss at the dog and my family. And like many, I worry, making it difficult to focus or and concentrate on anything. Even finding it difficult to do the things I know are necessary that provide me the time and space to rest, reflect and pray.

Possibly the worst kind of waiting (a season we now find ourselves in with our mom) is waiting on medical news. You wait for tests, then you wait for results, then you wait for the follow up appointment in hopes of getting a treatment plan, with waiting on inusurance approvail intermixed in every step along the way. It’s endless and mind numbing waiting! Everyone wants answers and wants them now, but that’s not how the medical community works. Unfortunately, everything is painfully slow. While on the one hand I can appreciate the medical professionals who want to get it right, I have little tolerance when it comes to waiting on insurance approval for clearly needed tests and treatments. Not only is it slow, but friends and family are equally impatient, wanting answers or updates on their loved ones. Don’t misunderstand here – we are extremely grateful for the amazing support system we have been blessed with. But if I’m honest, I find it hard to give updates when there are no answers to give and/or the updates are not the ones everyone has been hoping for. Waiting is just plain hard for everyone!

But God. Two simple little words, that carry so much weight and meaning. As I began writing, today with little idea of where this was gonna go, it occurred to me that the Bible is chalked full of waiting. I love it when God directs my thinking back towards Himself. A quick google search indicates the word “wait” or some form of it, occurs between 100-160 times, depending on translation. Any way you cut it that is a lot of waiting!!! I wonder why? It’s almost like God knew we’d we struggle with waiting and His purposes behind it. (Did I mention that my sarcasm is at an all time high?)

Here are just a few people in the Bible that came to mind as I thought about this idea of waiting:

Abraham waited almost 100 years for a promised son, even going so far as to take matters into his own hands trying to and hurry God along. 

Moses waited on several occasions. First to be set free from Egypt, then wandering around the desert waiting for the people he was trying to lead to finally listen to and obey God. The whole time waiting for the the promised land, only to find out once they got there, he wasn’t going. He only able to see it from a distance.

David waited. Oh how David waited. Time and time again both before he became king and after. Don’t believe me – open the book of Psalms and read pretty much anywhere and you will find waiting. 

Jonah tried running from God first and when that didn’t work he waited in the belly of a giant fish for three days (can’t imagine that was fun). Once he was spit out (gross), he waited again to see if the people of Nineveh would repent. And when they did, Jonah got angry. Seems like Jonah might have been too focused on what he wanted to see God working.

Daniel waited in a lion’s den. That had to be the longest night of his life! Or was it? Could it be that Dan was one of those few that had absolute confidence in God?

All the prophets waited, Isaiah, Elijah, Jeremiah, Micah, Hosea, etc.. for the people to repent and the Messiah to come. Talk about some men who were asked to do hard things! Some of them handled their periods of waiting better than others, but they all waited.

The people of Israel waited hundreds of years for the promised Messiah. And then didn’t recognize or accept Him when He did come because He wasn’t what they expected. Hmm, kind of makes you think doesn’t it? Do we miss God because we are looking for a very specific answer when a better one is right in front of us?

John the Baptist waited as he preached in the desert. Not knowing for sure who he was preparing the way, but sure of his calling he obeyed God and preached. John is a great example of working while you wait, even when you don’t understand.

The disciples waited for Jesus to become king. They had it kind of wrong, but it doesn’t change the fact that they waited for something that didn’t happen as they expected. And talk about a group of men that learned and were grown while they waited!

Heck even Jesus waited. 33 years to begin His ministry here on earth. He waited time and time again for those He loved to understand who He was. He waited for His friend Laz to die, so He could perform a mighty miracle. Can you even imagine how hard that wait was?! Jesus still waits. He waits for us to listen, repent, cry out to Him and He waits to return and take us home forever. 

Bottom line, with the exception of Jesus, I believe pretty much all of us suck at waiting. Sure there are times when it’s easier than others, but I suspect at one time or another all of us have failed the waiting game. 

Something else occurs to me as well. All of us waiters have something in common whether we realize it or not. We are all waiting on God. We wait for him to answer, work, fix, heal, provide, direct, come back. The words we use and our actions while we wait may look different and sound different but in the end we are all waiting on God.

There are a couple of passages of scripture that have hit hard and exactly where I needed this week. The first is Matthew 16:24-28. Many of you probably know this passage even if you don’t know the reference. This is where Jesus says “if you want to be my disciple, you have to deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me” (my paraphrase). Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like part of denying yourself might just be figuring out how to wait well. Giving up our expectations and timelines for God’s perfect plan. When it comes to picking up your cross, my mind goes to the hard things we are sometimes ask to do as we seek to obey God and follow where He leads. Perhaps this might include waiting as well as accepting an answer that is not what we wanted. Lastly Jesus says to “follow me”. Following someone who tends to go about things much differently than I would most of the time can be hard. The thing is Jesus never said following Him would be easy, but it will absolutely be worth it! In complete transparency I will say that as much as I sometimes push against God and fight for control, I can NOT imagine going through these difficult seasons of waiting without Him. He is most assuredly worth the hard!

The second passage is Isaiah 43: 1-13 – Wow! Let me suggest you take a few minutes and read this passage yourself. My guess is that it may hit you a bit differently than me, but it is a vivid reminder of God’s power, plan and purpose for each of us. Take some time and let it wash over your soul. Read how God has called you, redeemed you, gathered you and cares for you. I’m going to bet that if you too find yourself in a season of waiting, this passage will refresh your weary soul.

This past month, I’ve had many a sleepless night lying awake, worrying and wondering about all sorts of things. Some nights it takes longer than others for me to realize my mind is spiraling, take some deep breaths and pray. But when I get there, I silently pray Psalms 23 and remind myself, I have a very good Shepherd who really is all I need. Then 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 almost always comes to mind. It says “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness. ”Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” These verses remind me that I need not worry, God’s got this situation as well as me safely in His arms. It’s okay that I’m weak because that is when God will truly shine!