Are you good at waiting?

I think that at my memorial service, several good things might be said of me:  That I had honestly loved God and my family, that I was a hard worker, that I was compassionate, happy, friendly…  all those nice things people say during funerals.

But one thing I fear shall never be said of me, and that is that I was a patient person.

Being a “doer” and having always struggled with anxiety, you can only imagine how difficult it is for me to wait for anything.  I tweak and I wiggle.  I twist and pull at my hair and bite my lower lip.  I start to think about all the things I could be doing, instead of wasting my time waiting…  It’s pure torture!

So the other day, when I heard a commentary on the radio about what the Psalms tell us about this subject, I had to run and grab a pen (one that worked, hopefully) and a piece of paper so that I could jot down what the announcer was saying.

She said that, according to the Psalmists, we should wait:

• patiently

     Psalm 37:7b, Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.

•  expectantly

     Psalm 5:3, In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

•  actively

     Psalm 119:166, I wait for your salvation, LORD, and I follow your commands.

Naturally, I wasn’t too excited about the “waiting patiently” part, but I found the last two quite interesting, as they helped me realize that waiting is not wasteful, but rather a productive endeavor.

In fact, the Bible encourages us, time and time again, to wait upon the Lord, and it also tells us how:

•  That wait should be patient, less we run ahead of God’s plans.
•  It should be full of expectation, waiting for what our good and faithful Lord will do.
•  And it should be active instead of passive.

Oh, Ana, likes that last part.  You mean, I don’t have to sit and twirl my thumbs, but instead I get to do something while I wait?

Exactly.

See what this song by Christian singer John Waller says,

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting

I will serve You

While I’m waiting

I will worship

While I’m waiting

I will not faint

I’ll be running the race

Even while I wait

Gosh, I think even uberly impatient people like me can do that.  Now, this is something I really like!

Psalm 27:14, Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Ana

What makes you happy?

God, friends, family… Of course. But if you had to pick one thing in particular – something out of the ordinary; something you enjoy doing very much; something that fills your heart, sooths your mind, renews your strength – what would that be?

For me, it would be books.

In fact, one of my favorite places to hang out at is the public library, which I visit in between job assignments. (I work as an interpreter.) I usually bring my laptop, so I can surf the net, check e-mail or do some writing.

There are few things I enjoy more than sitting in a quiet place – surrounded by fellow book lovers and hundreds of wonderful stories – and losing myself in a good book or my own writing. There are no interruptions, no rush, no needs to be met, no dishes to wash, no laundry to fold. That’d it for me.

What’s it for you?

I was thinking about this the other day, while doing some Christmas shopping. Because there is one other thing I really enjoy: I love giving and receiving gifts. And the Season provides such marvelous opportunities for this!

As I shop, I picture Christmas morning. It is still dark. The evergreen tree stands erect on a corner of my living room floor, surrounded by gifts and tinsel that glow with twinkling lights. My children run to the tree, and with eyes wide with excitement and glee, they beg me and my husband, “Can we open our presents, please!”

What an amazing feeling. It is a feeling most parents cherish. Even God, our Heavenly Father, loves to give gifts to His children. James 1:17 says, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. (NKJV)

Also, in Matthew 7:9-11 Jesus said, Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (NKJV)

I find it interesting that Jesus brought the children’s wishes into the picture. This makes me think about an aspect of my giving I tend to overlook.

During Christmas, my desire is to surround my family with presents and to create beautiful memories for them. My husband and I carefully select and diligently hunt for the “perfect” gift, and we do take into consideration our children’s wishes, because we long to please them.

But do I ever think beyond the presents I put under our Christmas tree? Do I ever stop to wonder what my family really wants from me throughout the Season and not just on Christmas Morn?

What other gifts could I bless my family with? What would they say if I dared asking?

I think their answers would surprise me: Patience. Peace at home. A little more understanding. Affection. Less hustle, more spontaneity. A break. More of my time. My undivided attention.

How about you, dear friend? What would your family say if you ask them what is it they want from you this Christmas?

If you’re brave enough to ask, either them or yourself, would you share those answers with us by posting them as comments in the box below?

As for me, I think I’ll work on the “more patience” present. Truth is, that’s something I need to work on all year!

Growing together,

Ana
http://anastinescorner.blogspot.com/

Psalm 5:3, In the morning, oh Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (NIV)

Most days, I wake up around the same time.  Most days, I have a to-do list a mile long.  Most days, I battle the urge to jump out of bed and tackle this list, ASAP… but I know better.

A sweet voice whispers in my ear, nudging me out of bed, down the stairs and onto my living room recliner, for a meeting with my Creator.  The inclination to rush through my prayer requests so that I can move on with my day intensifies… but I know better.

On good days, I take deep breaths, pace the living room floor, and beg, “Lord, please calm down this crazy mind of mine!  I need You.  I know better than to start my day without Your touch.  Please teach me to wait on You.”

On the not-so-good ones, I just pace the living room floor and begin the sprint down my prayer list.  Mercifully, it doesn’t take long for the Holy Spirit to capture my heart and mind and to take me to a place where, enthralled by His love, I forget all about life’s rushes.

This act of obedience and submission is what I call “a tithe of my time.” When you tithe, you give back a small percentage of the total amount God blesses you with.  When you tithe your income, you trust Him to bless the remainder percentage so that is enough to fulfill your financial obligations.

In the same manner, when I have enough sense to start my day dedicating a small portion of it to spend it solely with God – what I call my devotional – I am trusting Him to bless the remainder hours of the day so that I can get done whatever needs to.

The beauty of this spiritual mini-battle I face every morning is two-fold.  On one hand, the more I experience God’s presence the easier it gets to overcome my selfish, hardheaded ways and my tendencies to skip my devotional.  On the other, the more I see the difference this investment of my time makes on the rest of my day –and on my attitude – the more I am compelled to “re-invest” the following morning.

Praying is not hard for someone like me, who’s enjoyed a relationship with God since her youth.  I pray all the time!  The deal with someone like me, a doer plagued by impatience and impulsiveness, is that it is very hard not to treat her morning devotionals like another item in her to-do list.

It is hard for girls like me to wait upon the Lord.  But girls like me, who understand the difference those early encounters make in their lives, know better.

Is it hard for you to slow down and wait?  If so, tell us about it!  We at Vineyard Women love to hear your insights.