What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. —James 4:14 (NIV)
Most of my life has been spent waiting. Whether I’m on the phone with the phone company (oh, the irony!), pondering whether my boyfriend would ever propose (He did and we married in 2009!), or just sitting at a red light, wait I must.
This year has been a trial in waiting. I waited to learn if my job would evaporate. I waited to hear from God if now was the time to expand our family. I waited three weeks for a piece of mail that finally arrived with no apparent reason for its delay.
Each time I’m forced to wait, I remind myself of a quote that I read online: “In Spanish, the verbs ‘to wait’ and ‘to hope’ are the same: esperar. Waiting is negative; hoping is positive. So try to wait with hope. This will help you remember that you’re on your way to something worth waiting for.”
How often do I wait with my arms crossed, foot tapping, an eye-roll cued up and ready to go? How many hours have I wasted with my eyes narrowed on the clock? A life of frustration is not what God wants for me. God calls me to share love, to seek others, and to rejoice in creation.
Our moments here are not promised, but they are precious—and I plan to embrace each one.
Lord, I praise You in Your great wisdom. Even across languages, Your Word speaks volumes and brings light unto my path, teaching me to wait hopefully.
Digging Deeper: Job 5:16, 11:18; Psalm 25:21
Excerpted from Daily Guideposts 2015.
