Skip to main content

Wait

         Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

 

Wait…wait for it… ugh. Why does sixty seconds waiting for the microwave seem like an hour, unless you leave the room to do something, in which case sixty seconds seems like ten. And in spite of evidence that the ability to delay gratification tends to improve one’s likelihood of success, we still can’t seem to tolerate having to wait. I hear of people who complain about having to use a self-check at a grocery store, and while I agree that the stores should have more cashiers, if I have to choose between a self-check that’s open and a cashier with a line, you can bet I’ll choose the former.

It's not that I’m entirely impatient. There are times I am more patient with people (other people tell me) than I should be, and if I have a book to listen to, a craft to do, or research, I can be very patient and focused. There are times when I’ll wait – possibly too long, refusing to take action when I should. But if I don’t have something to do, patience goes out the window.

I suspect impatience, and the performance expectations that fuels it, is one of those snares mentioned yesterday. So it’s not really a surprise that “wait for the Lord” is followed by “be strong and take heart” which is followed by a repetition of “wait for the Lord.” Waiting is hard work. But, it’s actually one of the snares that we can work on more easily than others, because we can set ourselves up to wait, whether on the Lord or on something else – it’s still practice waiting.

Some people have suggested that if we find ourselves being impatient about a stoplight, going around the block and coming back to the light, forcing ourselves to take longer. We can choose to get in a checkout line with a cashier. We can set timers that tell us when we are allowed to do something we want to do. We can practice waiting, and we probably should. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more