“Just a minute!” This is an expression I have to tell my children a lot. I often get bombarded with requests to play, to fix something, read a book, make a snack, or watch something on TV. Many times, I need my children to wait, as I finish doing something with another child, a conversation or project. When I tell my children to wait, there is often great dissatisfaction. Pouting, complaining or occasionally a fall down on the floor tantrum occurs. As an adult, this often seems ridiculous. Why not spend the time waiting doing something else you enjoy and let the time pass more quickly? However, not getting what we want or having to wait gets the best of us, and we become miserable.
Unfortunately, we still deal with this as adults. We have to wait for longer than we want for something, often times not knowing when we will receive it. “How much longer until we get our food?” We also often have to wait for answers from God, and many times we don’t handle it any better than my children waiting for a snack. We grumble, complain, question and maybe lay down on the floor and throw a fit. Just as my children miss the opportunity to do something else fun or productive, we spend so much time complaining, we miss the lesson or opportunity God has presented us in waiting. If we hope to spend eternity with an eternal God, then I believe it suits us to learn to wait. Even when its hard. Even when it hurts. Even when we are hungry.
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:20-22