Waiting Patiently on the Lord...or my Toddler.
Sometimes the in-between is the best place to be.
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40:1)
Living today in a world that prides itself on speed, efficiency, and productivity, it can sometimes be challenging for me to wait for anything, let alone to wait patiently.
Whether I’m waiting for my 2-year-old toddler to climb into her car seat on a cold and windy afternoon (“Do it myself, Mommy!” She insists), or I’m waiting in line at the grocery store—sitting still in the not knowing, in the not finished, in the treading-water-moments and seasons of life can be so hard to do.
Sometimes I feel like I’m wasting time.
And yet, as David, author of Psalm 40 reminds us:
“he (God) turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:1-2)
Sometimes the waiting we have to do in life to get from point A to point B is more than a mere couple of minutes or days. Sometimes we’re waiting on a dream or an answer for years—decades even. We may wonder where God is in the midst of our life and personal experience.
But as I prayed this evening and asked God to guide me in sharing with you, the Holy Spirit made something clear: the waiting, the gray area—this is largely what life is about. The Kingdom of God is found here!
I used to think—and sometimes fall back into believing—that my arrivals, my material tangibles, that which I can see and hold—are what’s most important in my life. Certainly, society emphasizes these things, and I know in my own life I have chased good grades and accolades and milestones. And to a degree, these can be honorable and important pursuits when done thoughtfully and with integrity.
But that which occurs in between “arrivals,” while we are “waiting,” is highly valuable. Those are the teaching moments, the growth seasons, the relational experiences where connection happens. This is where we fall down and get back up. This is where we learn to love and heal. The gray area is indeed mystery, and often requires us to wait…patiently.
But God is there in the gray area, powerfully so.
I want to suggest that perhaps we frame the concept of “waiting” in a positive light from now on, instead of a negative or disappointing angle. Perhaps from now on we can think of “waiting” as “cultivating,” “growing” or even expanding our capacity to love.
After all, when we’re patient—with ourselves and others, and chiefly, with God—we are learning to love better. No one said being patient was easy!
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God,” David concludes in this verse. (Psalm 40:3)
Indeed, when I can slow myself down enough to recognize that my daughter’s insistence on climbing into her car seat is her little heart and brain working to achieve a new milestone, to gain her own self-confidence and independence, and to grow in her hands-on skills, I can see the entire situation in a new light. I can take a deep breath and smile, and be there in case she needs a hand.
And I thank Jesus Christ for that new awareness, for He is indeed the light of the world (John 8:12) who makes all things new (Revelation 21:5).
Sources:
The Holy Bible, New International Version
The Holy Bible, King James Version.
Are you waiting on something in your life? Would you like prayer or encouragement? Please leave a comment, below, if so…or forward to someone who might benefit from hearing this message tonight. -Kristen