And just like that, Christmas has come and gone. Whew! All of that waiting, leading up to one big day.
In my “musical mind”, I cannot help but think of all of the songs that relate with “waiting”. It was the prophet Tom Petty who sang, “The Waiting Is The Hardest Part.” Since 1981, Foreigner has been, “Waiting for a girl like you”. But, For King and Country asks, “What Are We Waiting For”?
Well, I can tell you that John Mayer is “Waiting for the world to change”. But J-Lo is “Waiting For Tonight”. While Richard Marx is, “Right Here Waiting For You”. Because alas, George Michael And Aretha Franklin, “Knew You Were Waiting for Me”. Now, I will wait for your applause.
How do you feel about waiting in line? Whether it’s a drive-thru, a phone message saying, “your wait time is 22 minutes”. Or going through customs at the airport. All of that gets under your skin.
We have two choices when it comes to waiting:
We can wait in frustration about what hasn’t happened, or we can wait in anticipation of what God’s going to do.
Waiting is hard especially when we live in a microwave world. We can’t even let the microwave countdown all the way to zero. We got 3 seconds left and are like, Good enough! So how do we, as Jesus followers, deal with the wait? Waiting takes patience. Maybe you feel heavy or abandoned.
I asked a few people what they’re waiting for. Here are their honest answers.
After over 30 years of doing the same ministry, I am waiting for God to reveal where to use my gifts in a new fresh, enjoyable way.
I’m waiting for a hot Italian man to enter my life!
I’m waiting for greater independence for my child with special needs.
I’m waiting for a sense of peace to learn to let things go at my job.
I am waiting to confidently say yes to the next piece of the Big Plan puzzle as I continue to trust the picture to unfold.
I’m waiting for freedom from food. I have been binge free for 12 months.
I’m waiting to be called home and sit at the foot of Jesus and worship.
Waiting is often a season of longing for something to be set right. A friend of mine was wrongly accused of something. He was let go from a job, told he could go to jail. And he was 100% innocent. He was told this wouldn’t be resolved overnight. He had to wait to be cleared for integrity sake. For his career, and his reputation. Maybe you’re waiting for a certain situation to start making sense.
Have you ever received a “Fast Pass” to an amusement park? It is pretty awesome to be able to jump to the front of the line. Yet, if you’ve ever been to Disney or Universal Studios without a fast pass, you miss some beautiful stuff like this:
It’s called “the que”. Companies spend millions of dollars making your “wait more enjoyable”. And if you skip it with the fast pass, you really miss a lot of the detail that makes the full story worth it. Now, I’d much rather have the fast pass, but there is something about experiencing the “coming attraction” before the main event.
I mentioned my friend who was wrongly accused of something. During that time of “waiting for the truth”, there was a prayer text thread that was started. Sometimes the prayer was thankfulness for a breakthrough, sometimes it was praying for more truth from lies. Sometimes, it was simply songs like, “I’m Gonna See A Victory” or “Hard Fought Hallelujah”. Sometimes songs speak our heart.
After 11 months of waiting, 11 months of false accusations, he went into the courtroom. And we all prayed…and waited. Then we all received a text. (ding)
We won. They dropped the case. It’s over.
The judge looked at him and said, “you are 100% innocent”. He got the job back. He got his name cleared. He got 100% victory! He praised and battled for almost a year believing God would see him through. And, our faithful God did.
The prophet Isaiah says, “Blessed are all who wait for him” Isaiah 30:18
Is there something in your life that you’re “waiting for”? I wish I could gift you with a fast pass and allow you to jump to the end of the story. But, perhaps there is something in the “que of your story” that you’re overlooking which needs to be seen, or expereinced.
Watch the wait. Go make a difference. Always run by faith.
I’d love for you to subscribe and share it with someone who needs encouragement while they wait.
(Inspired by a conversation with Steve Place)