What Are You Waiting For?
We’re all waiting for something—lab results, a callback from the hiring manager, or our prodigal’s return from “the far country”. I find waiting maddening. It drives home the point that I am not in control. When waiting, I find myself at the mercy of others’ timelines, and their level of urgency may not match my own. I find myself suspended in a limbo land of unanswered questions—and I am left there in suspension—hanging.
Waiting drives me to a fork in the proverbial road. One fork leads down a path marked “worry”. The other leads down a pathway labeled “trust”. My first steps down the path of worry begin innocently enough. Worry politely raises a few questions that usually start with, “What if. . .?”. What begins with simple questions can quickly escalate in intensity. The question’s tone heightens, becoming rapid-fire. I quickly find myself hurtling down a rabbit trail of far-fetched scenarios, my thoughts racing and my gut in a knot.
The other pathway is labeled “trust”—trust in God, in His ways, His timing, and His character. Trusting anyone—even God is unsettling, even ridiculous especially if I don’t know Who I am trusting. However, He has kindly revealed Himself in Scripture. Still, a discussion about trusting God can seem like “pie in the sky” as I wait for my real-life struggles to play out. Questions arise: “Is He big enough to handle my problem?”, “Is He truly interested in my struggles?”.
Moses rises to testify in Psalm 90:1-2:
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
In Psalm 147:3-5, the psalmist says: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; and calls them each by their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.”
For deeper study, here are Scripture references that reveal Him further:
Exodus 34: 5-7 Isaiah 40:10-14 Isaiah 40:21-31
Although worry starts the “What if . . .” conversation in my head, trust changes that conversation. It says, “Even if . . . “, even if the worst-case scenario playing out in my head happens, even then, God is still my dwelling place as He has been throughout all the epochs of time. Even then, God remains compassionate and kind. Even then, He remains firmly in control and attentive to my deepest needs.
As your waiting situation holds you in unsettled suspension, allow me to remind you that the One Who formed the earth and the world sees you right now. He sees you as you await the lab results, as you wonder whether to call the hiring manager this afternoon or wait another day. He hears the prayers we whisper for our prodigal, and His eye is upon him in “the far country”. I pray you are choosing the path labeled “trust”, for there you will find the One Who is compassionate and abounding in lovingkindness, and say along with the psalmist:
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word, I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” Psalm 130:5-6