WAITING

   “Good things come to those who wait.” “Waiting for the right moment.” “Waiting for Mr. Right.” “Wait and see.” “Wait till your father gets home!”

   We spend a good deal of our lives waiting—waiting in lines, waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for test results, waiting for “after the holidays” to get on that diet…

   The Israelites waited in the desert for forty years to get back to the Promised Land. Noah waited for the rains to start, then waited for the rains to end. Me? I am simply waiting—waiting to see what God has in store for me.

   I’m not much good at waiting. But I have perfected the art of what I refer to as “active waiting.” You know the kind…planning your next twelve stops while you wait at a red light, planning your dinner menu while you wait in line at the grocery store, writing out all those “Happy Belated Birthday” cards while you wait in the doctor’s office…

   I’m pretty good at “active waiting.” But sometimes, I miss things when I try to crunch something “productive” into every moment of my day. Sometimes, I think I should stop and take time to appreciate the wait.

   I’m learning how to do that, too. I have a good teacher—God. God is teaching me to appreciate each moment for what it is. That’s all. It’s pretty simple, but it’s a very hard lesson to learn. I always want to run, but God says I have to learn to walk first. I have found that when I run ahead, just because I can’t stand going that slow, that I stumble. I fall. I make mistakes. I get hurt, and I hurt others. Then God gently pulls me back, and sets me on the path again. He makes me stop, look and listen…just like a parent. Then He gives me a gentle push.

   Now I am actively waiting…actively waiting for what God wants me to do next, but acting every day in a way I think makes Him happy. I listen for His message to me daily. Sometimes they are very clear, other times they are not.

   Take time…take time to wait for God’s message in your life. But wait actively; listen and act in ways that you know He wants you to. It’s a struggle to remember to do this every day, but…it is worth the wait, don’t you think?

     After all, He is waiting for us.

--Tricia Goffena