I read the poster, then checked my watch—again. It was time to notify.
“Excuse me, but my appointment with Dr. D. was at 10:30 and it is now 11:15.” I spoke in even tones that belied my frustration.
The receptionist referred to the schedule on her computer. “Thank you,” she responded pleasantly. “I’ll check to see what the problem is.”
Returning to my seat, I expected to be called shortly, but it still took ten to fifteen minutes. Another annoyance: no one ever explained the delay or apologized.
No doubt you’ve endured similar experiences. Waiting nearly always creates nuisance no matter how many magazines they provide. Who hasn’t been stuck in the waiting areas of car repair shops, office buildings, and airports—when we’ve places to go and things to do?
But those aren’t the only forced pauses we face. At one time or another all of us spend time in the waiting room of life—as we anticipate achieving a long-term goal, receiving that long-awaited email or phone call, or seeing an ongoing prayer finally answered.
How are we supposed to handle the interminable pauses in life?
The following truths promise to ease our frustration and offer hope.
In God’s view, to wait is not to waste.
There is always purpose in God’s delays. King David wrote, “A person’s steps are directed by the Lord” (Psalm 37:23 GNT). Next to this verse in the margin of his Bible, George Mueller wrote: “And the stops too” (1).
Just what might God be doing during the stops? He often uses wait time to work on our character, transforming pride into humility, doubt into faith, weakness into strength, and impatience into serenity.
A time of waiting provides a time for discovery.
As we turn attentive hearts toward gratitude for what is, praise for who God is, and satisfaction in serving him now wherever he has placed us, we’ll discover contentement. With Paul we’ll be able to say:
“The heart is rich when it is content, and it is content when its desires are set upon God,” wrote Miguel of Ecuador (2).
On the other hand, a heart cannot be content if set primarily upon an attainment in the future.
Waiting is part of the wonder to come.
It’s a basic principle of investment: the longer we wait, the greater our return. Delay enhances delight.
And one day we’ll finally receive the explanation for the pauses in our lives. No doubt our eyes will widen in wonder to see all that God accomplished when in our view, progress stood still.
* * * * * * * * * *
I thank you, Heavenly Father, that we can trust you during wait times.
You know the perfect sequence and timetable for events to unfold; we do not. You see the whole picture—the lives of others who will be impacted during this wait time; we cannot.
So may we rest on what we do know: You are a God of goodness, faithfulness, and wisdom. The one who trusts in you, whose confidence is in you, is blessed.
(Psalm 130:5; Psalm 139:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:24;
Psalm 100:5; Romans 11:33; Jeremiah 17:7)
Notes:
- George Müller (1805-1898) founded schools and orphanages in Bristol, England, in the early 1800s, providing care for thousands of children. His testimony of great faith included numerous miracles of provision for the orphans under his care.
- Miguel of Ecuador (1854-1910)–teacher and author
Photo credits: http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.canva.com (3).
From the Inside Out 