It was rush hour. The cars were at a standstill. I knew without looking at my dad that we were going to be late for school, but what could we do? I looked miserably out the car window at the crowded lanes as the seconds ticked by. I hated waiting!
Until recently, I didn’t understand all those Bible verses on waiting. Verses such as Psalm 25:5, which states, “Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day,” made no sense to me. Why would anyone choose to wait? Let alone all day waiting for anyone regardless of if it was God? The older I got, the more Bible verses I found of people waiting on God. Was I missing something? Is waiting more than meets the eye?
Fast forward to my junior year of high school. I was attending a boarding school 12 hours away from my home. When Christmas time rolled around, I couldn’t wait for break! I would finally get to fly home, wrap my arms around the people I love, eat my mom’s homemade food, sing carols, decorate the house, make our famous Christmas cookies and spend Christmas day with family and friends.
But that’s when I finally started to understand the strange paradox of waiting. Even though I wanted to go home, waiting wasn’t a passive, inactive and frustrating process. It was more of a growing momentum, a daily reminder of hope and a strength to meet the demands of the present because soon I was going home. It was exciting living in the waiting. It was exciting trying to buy online gifts for my family, making late Skype calls and packing for home. An airplane ride later and standing at the airport arrival doors, it was so exciting to finally see the fruit of my waiting as my parents and I ran into each other’s arms.
Jesus is calling us to wait. In John 14:2-4, Jesus promises to return and take us home. As Christians, we are in the waiting time. But how are we waiting?
I’ve misunderstood waiting. Waiting isn’t a state of helpless inactivity, but rather a rope that keeps our drifting hearts to the Anchor of our lives. Waiting is our secret weapon to keep us heaven-focused. It’s a lifestyle of connection showing our relationship with God.
And here’s the final paradox: Waiting is a privilege. We wait on God because He first waited and is waiting for us (Is. 30:18).
So, enjoy the process of waiting. Find hope, strength and comfort. Claim the beautiful promise for today.
“But those who wait on 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” (Is. 40:31).
