I Will Wait

The word Patience strikes fear into many people. When I hear it, you can see me cringe. I hate waiting for things (like food, and redlights). But I’m getting better at it, I’m getting better. Patience is a process that comes after a lot of waiting. Actually, at the moment I am being patient for a phone call that determines my evening plans.

I was glancing through the Psalms (actually in search of a verse for a completely different topic) and it really struck me how many of the Psalms have themes around being patient. Waiting on God to move. Waiting on God’s answer...

Somewhere in every psalm regarding patience, the author comes to the same conclusion: ‘You will answer’. God will answer, in his timing. Maybe there are still lessons to be learned while you’re waiting. God might still want to work on items in your life.

What are you waiting for?

I can recall how much a HATED waiting to get my driver’s license. Believe me, I got so fed up with having to wait for so many things in the process of obtaining a driver’s license. But I learned so many lessons through that time, things about myself, things about God, things about cars as well. And looking back now, I probably wouldn’t trade those months of waiting for anything.

But being patient certainly didn’t end there and I certainly didn’t learn enough patience (can one ever learn enough?). I have to be patient while I wait for school to end and patient when I dance and I have to be patient with myself when I practice as well. I have to have patience when I play, or learn a new song or chord on the guitar and keep reminding myself that learning the Cm bar chord or trying to play ‘Revelation Song’ perfect within 10 minutes of learning it probably isn’t going to happen. Same with dance, I won’t be as fast and detailed as the rest of the girls I dance with, mainly because I’ve been dancing for 7months and they’ve been dancing for years.

Like I said, learning patience teaches you things about yourself: I am an overachiever and I tend to beat my self up if I’m not the best I can be in the shortest amount of time (one more thing to keep working at).

Right this very moment and many moments to come, I am waiting. Waiting for God’s answer in regards to life changing choices and decisions. Right now I’m ready to go, I’m ready to leave once we get the ‘go’. But that’s not how it’s works, even if God did a miracle and everything fell into place within the hour, it would still take a while before we would leave. PATIENCE!

And so I question myself. Am I honest to goodness ready to leave? Ready to drop everything when God says “Do this now.”? I try not to think about all the sad things wrapped around what I’ll call Reckless Abandonment. I try oh so hard to concentrate on the good things, but I stop – is there anything better than this? Can anywhere be as almost perfect as where I am right now? DUH yes!

Why is letting go of something so hard, even when you know God will have something better in store for you?

“But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) --pretty good promise for patience huh?

God will answer me, us, when his timing is right. He will work everything out. I just have to keep waiting. Which is the part that hurts most.

What are we to do while waiting? Well I am certainly not going to sit around and wait for God to answer. I’m going to take every opportunity I have and make something of it. Something to remember and hopefully something that will show me just one more glimpse of who God is. All the while knowing that at anytime, God can answer.

I will serve Him while I’m waiting. And I will bring glory to his name.

While I'm Waiting - John Waller

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord