While We Wait

I once heard a comedian say that nearly everything will be instantaneous in the future. According to this humorist, our food will be prepared in milliseconds, our transportation will be almost as fast as we can imagine our destination, and our food preparation will make microwaves look like campfire cooking. Even then, though, he added, we will still have to wait in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for at least a minute!

Like all humor, this joke was anchored in reality: government lines are long, and we hate to wait in lines. Another observer once wrote that you know you are in too much of a hurry when you stand in front of a microwave and scream, “Come on! Hurry up!”

In sermons, I have confessed that perhaps my most visible spiritual gift is the ability to choose the longest line! No matter which line I choose, it seems that something inevitably causes it to be transformed into the longest line, even if it appeared short at first. Years of experiencing this gift have convinced me of the truth of my claim.

It has also taught me that I can choose to wait two different ways: I can wait anxiously and impatiently, much like the person yelling at the microwave, or I can stop, be fully present, and look for opportunities for God to speak to me or through me while I wait.

I further confess that I do not always put this learned lesson into practice, but when I do, I am amazed by how God can use pauses to do something meaningful for us and for His kingdom.

On one occasion, I was able to assist an elderly woman when she almost dropped her groceries. On other occasions, I have been able to engage in conversations with people who seemed to need a listening ear at that moment. I would not have encountered these people had I been outwardly frustrated by the wait or immersed in my phone, sending a “no talk” signal.

More often than not, when I trust God while I am waiting, whether in line or in other aspects of life, I find that He proves Himself to be more than a worthwhile companion.

Scripture reminds us: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31, KJV).

This week, can we wait upon the Lord and recognize that the Lord is waiting with us, whether we are waiting in a grocery store line or for a prayer to be answered? God has promised to be there, and He keeps His promises.

Prayer for the Week:

Patient Father, Your grace is at work in me right now, transforming me and making me more like Your Son. Nothing can separate me from You. I am safe in Your love. 

Help me to know more of the joy that comes from knowing You. Grant me joy in Jesus, joy in being Your child and joy in knowing that You are always with me. May I find hope in Your Word: "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope" (Psalm 130:5). May I live for You, even while I wait. Help me to obey and remain faithful, no matter how long I am in this place of waiting. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. (Adapted from a prayer by Christina Fox).

Charles W. Christian

Please note: All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of original publication but may have since changed.