Our twelve-year-old dog, Riley, hears the word ‘wait’ frequently. “Wait” we command before racing up the steps on his arthritic hips. “Wait” as we scare away the squirrels before opening the back door (arthritic hips and squirrel chasing don’t mesh well). “Wait” (and this is his least favorite) for his beloved ‘special’ treats. He tries to be obedient in the ‘waiting’ but isn’t always successful. As Tom Petty sang, “The waiting is the hardest part,” even for a dog. Sometimes, I am like Riley, trying to wait obediently but am not always successful.
In life, we humans spend a lot of time ‘standing by’.
Waiting for answers
Waiting for a diagnosis
Waiting in line
Waiting for a call
Waiting for sleep
Waiting for a baby to be born
Waiting for spring
Waiting for the water to boil
Waiting for a job offer
Waiting for news
Waiting for our turn
Waiting for the other shoe to drop
We wait in traffic, waiting rooms, offices, airports, and the extra-long wait at the DMV.
We stand by, hang out, twiddle our thumbs, scroll, and grow impatient. At times, we’re sweating it out with nervous energy or apprehension. Waiting can feel very unproductive, even stressful. Sometimes the waiting can be long and tedious and we ask, “When will this waiting be over?!” In Psalm 134, David cries out, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?” (v.1-2).
Our instant gratification world makes waiting even more challenging. We’ve grown accustomed to minimal wait times. At our fingertips, we have immediate access to instant information, fast shipment of material goods, and food delivered to our doorstep within an hour.
Then we encounter one of the many situations when we have no control over wait times. Waiting may be minutes, days, minutes that feel like days, even years. So, how should we wait? Is there a behavioral protocol? The minutes will tick by regardless of how we wait, and since time equals life, how would we spend our time (life) during holding patterns?
What does the Bible tell us?
There is a Hebrew word, ‘qavah’ which means ‘to wait actively with anticipation, hopefully watching for God to act.’
- Wait actively.
- Wait with anticipation.
- Wait hopefully.
- Wait while watching for God to act.
(Is this humanly possible?)
The Perspectives Center for Holistic Therapy’s website states, “Waiting is not merely an intermission between significant events; it is an active process that can lead to personal transformation. By immersing ourselves in the waiting period, we develop resilience, patience, and a deeper understanding of ourselves.” Ah, there’s that other word, ‘patience’. Waiting and patience are a team. The Apostle Paul tells us “… if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:25) I’m not sure about you, but I am not always patient.
Waiting is an important aspect of life. While waiting, we cultivate patience, and resilience, and perhaps experience personal transformation. It can also be a time to draw closer to God, who has a lot to say about waiting and patience:
Psalm 37:7 tells us to “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret.”
Psalm 130:5 says, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.”
Micah 7:7 reminds us to look to the Lord, wait for God, and he will hear us.
How do we ‘actively wait’ while standing in line at the grocery store when our flight is delayed or when the doctor hasn’t come into the exam room yet? I believe it means not allowing our waiting to be self-consuming or self-focused. Actively waiting may mean looking around and noticing people. Is there someone in your presence who needs some assistance? Perhaps it is praying silently. Breath prayers are a wonderful tool for waiting patiently. Breathe in, “My soul finds rest,” and exhale, “in God alone” (Psalm 62:1).
Sometimes qava – actively waiting with anticipation and hopefully watching for God to act – means taking a deep breath, putting one foot in front of the other, and asking God to help you be patient, to move in His timing, and to remain faithful. The opposite would be allowing ourselves to become frustrated, impatient, stressed, or filled with worry. That’s not a good way to spend our time (life). I don’t believe it is ‘humanly’ possible; we cannot do it alone. We need God’s strength to help us endure.
Patience Vs. Impatience
Author, President, and CEO of Desiring God, Marshall Segal says, “Impatience grows out of our unwillingness to trust and submit to God’s timing for our lives. Impatience tries to wrestle God for control, while patience gladly kneels, with hands spread wide, ready to receive all that God has planned and given. Impatience grumbles, while patience rejoices, even while it experiences real pains of delay.” This is good food for thought.
Admittedly, I am not always patient when there are delays or when asked to rest here or stay put. Riley knows that he can lift his cute puppy-dog eyes in hopeful expectation of what will come after the waiting. Perhaps we can follow his lead by lifting our eyes with hopeful anticipation as we wait for our God to move.
Heavenly Father, Grant us the strength to embrace patience in moments of waiting and uncertainty. May your peace fill our hearts as we trust in your perfect timing. Amen.