Recently, I was made aware of my dislike of waiting as I was unexpectedly stopped on my way to an appointment by a ‘wide load.’
During the time I was stopped, it felt as if seconds were minutes as my anxiety of being late and my frustration at this unplanned interruption grew.
Waiting is inconvenient and uncomfortable.
It disrupts our plans and, at times, gives us a painful amount of time and space to think. Worse yet is nervous waiting.
While it is a minor nuisance to be delayed on the way to an appointment, it is another thing altogether to anxiously await the results of a medical test.
During those troublesome times, as we restlessly wait, we come face to face with all of our hopes and fears, our dreams and despairs.
Last week as we entered into COVID-19 restrictions once again, we were all confronted with waiting. We began waiting for the easing of restrictions again.
Still, we wait as we eagerly and carefully listen to hear when life might return to ‘normal.’
We wait as we wonder, ‘how long will this go on for?’ and ‘when will this stop happening?’
In the Scriptures, waiting is an unnervingly common subject.
Yet, it is common because it is so familiar to our human experience.
In Psalm 130, we read ‘my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.’
Yes! You really did read the same line twice!
The verse repeats itself, emphasising with the ‘over and over again’ experience we sometimes have when we are made to wait repeatedly.
More than this, the Psalm acknowledges the pain and fatigue we experience when we are waiting for God to answer us.
This is both troublesome and comforting.
Troublesome that we must wait, but comforting to know that although we wait, we are not forsaken by God; that silence does not mean he will not answer our prayers or meet our needs.
Yet, these times of silence and waiting are trying.
They test our trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God.
As already noted, I can relate to Job who says, ‘What is my strength, that I should wait?’ (Job 6:11).
Waiting on God is difficult, but as we wait, we are not left hopeless or helpless. In Isaiah 40:31, we read that God renews the strength of those who wait upon him.
Furthermore, in Psalm 40, we read that God does answer the prayers of those who patiently wait and depend on Him.
This gives us hope.
Hope that we can endure the waiting and hope that God will hear our prayers.
As we continue to wait – whatever it is that you are waiting for - may it be that God gives you the strength to continue waiting with hope and patience.
Jacob Kelly,
Christ Church Anglican
10°C