Waiting is not one of my spiritual gifts. I have two gears—wide open and dead—and not much of anything between. Can any of you relate?
I’m sure most of us are familiar with those souped-up sports cars that we see at red lights. You know, the ones that are rocking back and forth with their motors rumbling loudly while they wait for the light to change…and then they zoom off leaving a strip of rubber on the pavement.
I’m the human equivalent of that.
Oh, sweet mercy, don’t put me behind slow-walking people or cars when I’m in a hurry. Don’t those people understand I have places to go and things to do?!
I’m sure God has shaken His head a few times as He’s dealt with me through the years. Probably a lot of times. But you know what? I’m so grateful for His patience as He’s lovingly taught this old gal that there is a beauty, joy and a purpose that can be found in waiting on Him.
I was reminded of that this week as we’re celebrating the sixth birthday of my granddaughter, Anna. She’s been such sunshine in our lives, pure sweetness and extra precious because we waited for seven long years before God answered our prayers for a child for our son and daughter-in-law.
Those seven years were such a difficult waiting period as we prayed without knowing what the outcome would be. They were painful years of watching Jeremy and Lydia grieve as the days went by without an answer, without a child to hold.
But they were priceless years for all of us as we learned to trust Him, even when we couldn’t understand. They were years of drawing closer to Him, snuggling close for comfort when we felt helpless. They were years of watching our children gain a spiritual maturity that couldn’t have happened without waiting through those tough times.
And the outcome? Oh, that was sheer joy as God sent us our precious Anna. In His perfect timing. A gift that was even more cherished because of the years of waiting.
Sweet friends, I’d love to tell you that I’m now a patient “waiter.” I suspect God would tell you that I’m a work in progress. But I’ve discovered so much through the waiting times in my life:
- I mess things up when I take things out of God’s hands and try to fix them myself.
- God is always on time—even when He’s not on my time-table.
- His way is always best—even when it doesn’t make sense to me at the time.
- Those times of waiting provide days of oh-so-awesome closeness to Him.
And the final thing? I’ve learned to ask what He wants me to learn from those moments of waiting.
As my pastor often says, “Even when you can’t track Him, you can trust Him.” So put your brakes on and wait on Him. You’ll be so glad you did.
