Waiting is hard for me. I think I’m a fairly patient person, but I find it difficult to wait for things. I tend to have one of two reactions to the practice of waiting. My insecure self, the one which has always had an inferiority complex of feeling that I just am not good enough, therefore, something negative will be the result, meets waiting with dread. This is the one where I’m waiting for an audition or performance and I’m just sure I will mess up somehow, or waiting, like today for contest results, when I just know somehow my name won’t make the list. Or waiting at the doctor’s office, thinking there must be something wrong or it shouldn’t take this long, should it? Or waiting for the letter that just never seems to arrive saying that the mammogram looks fine or that the dispute has been settled, or that the package arrived safely. These are negative waits that affront me.
Or, there are the annoying waits. These are the ones that make me tense, usually because my day is too packed with things I have to do, or my schedule is impacted by something outside my control, or I am urked by the actions of others which somehow impact my life. I just hate waiting in line, especially when the lady in the supermarket line proudly hands over the three-inch thick packet of coupons to be deducted from her sizable order, while she gloats at how much she has saved. Or the traffic signal that never seems to change to green. Or having the car sit in park while I wait for a passenger to finally arrive. These are basically annoyances, just part of life, I figure, but I wish they weren’t part of mine.
Then, there are the waits of anticipation. These I can tolerate better, because I figure the outcome will be good. Scripturally, they are the “wait upon the Lord” times, when I know I will feel His presence. Or the waiting for the grandbabies to arrive for a day at Grandma’s. Or the cachophonic noise before an awaited concert, when the musicians practice a riff one more time, or they warm up in every conceivable key, awaiting the oboe’s A to tune up. Or the waiting for Christmas. Or the waiting for an order to arrive in a restaurant, when we just know what we ordered will be delightful.
All this brings me to today. #1 I wait for Kaley and Emily to arrive so we can spend Grandma time. #2 I wait for the weekend. #3 I wait to see if my story “Rocking Chair Porch” has won a contest. #4 I wait for answered prayer for intercessions I’ve made to the Lord. #5 I wait to see if the kids are coming for dinner tonight so we can catch up. #6 I wait to get my car back, knowing that Paul and Mary’s car has been repaired and it cost less than the anticipated $2,000+ (answer to big time prayers) #7 I wait for a memorial service tomorrow to honor a friend’s husband #8 I wait for news that a new worship leader will come to lead our church #8 I wait for the holiday season with all its joys #9 I wait for the Lord to come in His Glory. That’s enough for one day, no?
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