By Kristin Wyse
GCU Office of Student Care
#Askingforafriend
Amazon Prime delivery, fast food lines, carpool lanes and 5G. We have become accustomed to quick deliveries, instant gratification and instant results. So what happens when things don’t arrive on time or are delayed indefinitely? Or when they are unpredictable or unknown?
If you’re anything like me, my response is not always the best, and there is always some room for improvement. Unfortunately, those specific instances usually involve impatience, frustration and an irritated tone of voice, and sometimes it even includes unkind words.
I’ve even found this to be true when making decisions or waiting for decisions to be made among all the unknowns and uncertainties in life. I become impatient and possibly even demand answers that fit within my pre-determined timeline.
I’ve learned many times over that there is a reason that God uses the word “wait” in the Bible approximately 154 times – just shy of one verse every two days, on average, reminding us to wait.
Wait, wait, wait. I really hate to wait. Waiting is typically not fun. Who wants to wait to open a present, or wait in line for dinner at a restaurant, or wait for those test results, or wait to see someone we’ve been longing to see? Why does God tell us to wait?
I think it’s because He does most of His work in the waiting. In those dark times, waiting is difficult. It can provoke anger. It can feel intolerable. Waiting can hurt. It can leave us wounded, broken and bruised. And it can leave us feeling fearful of what’s to come.
But it can also be a time for growth, a time to learn and become even better. It can be a time of protection. Waiting can lead to a new hope for the future. It can be life-changing and life-giving. Waiting can provide the time for things to improve and the time for Him to display His love, provision, grace and faithfulness in our lives.
A lot can happen in the waiting. It can become life-draining or life-building. We have a choice.
We can eagerly await the good He has promised He will bring from the ashes of this life. We can rest in the knowledge that He has a purpose in having us wait.
Or we can groan and weep at the unfairness and the uncertainties in our life.
The course of your life can be altered by which path you choose. It also can affect how others choose to live their lives – they’re watching how well you wait.
I know which choice I want mine to be. What will you do the next time you have to wait?
