Waiting

I am not a fan of waiting. In fact, I don't know anyone who is. I know people who are patient. I don't know anyone who seeks long lines, heavy traffic, fast-food that takes 40 minutes. Often, I perceive "waiting" as "doing nothing" until I can do the thing I want to do, whatever that may be. But Saturday night while I was catching up on Lost, a line came from the movie caused me to begin to think about waiting. One character said, "There is a difference between doing nothing and waiting." This started the gears turning in my mind.

Immediately I began to think about the "lessons" God wants us to learn through waiting. I can easily see patience; perhaps wisdom; maybe even humility. But I wondered why God would choose such a poor tool. Honestly, am I supposed to develop patience through my grocery store line or glean wisdom from gridlock traffic or learn humility by waiting on my sub sandwich?

Then my pastor's sermon on Sunday morning brought it all together. You see, God is not leading us to a place, but to himself. God does not lead us to waiting unless he is there. Am I saying God leads us to traffic to meet with him, I think its possible. After all, it is a great time to pray and prayer beats screaming at other drivers and offering single finger waves.

But I think God leads us to places of waiting in our lives as well because he is there. That place where we are waiting on our new job or we are waiting on healing — God leads us there to because he is there. God never brings us to a place where he is not. If God has brought to a place of waiting, he is waiting there for you.

But what is the purpose of waiting! Why can't he be at the next destination. Why can't we be moving while we are together.

Put simply, "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10