What are you waiting for? - by Elizabeth Reynolds

When I hear the word wait, I think of waiting for something, perhaps in a queue. Waiting at the check-out, waiting in a bank queue, waiting in the car for Joshua to come out of the shops.

I recently read Dr. Suess’s “Oh The Places You’ll Go” and in this book, there is a made-up place called “The Waiting Place”, and it sounds awful!

I’ve attached an image of the page which has the text and illustration for you to look at. But here’s what it says. It’s a place…

…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go

Or a bus to come or a plane to go

Or the mail to come or the rain to go

Or the phone to ring or the snow to snow

Or waiting around for a Yes or No

Or waiting for their hair to grow

Everyone is just waiting

Waiting for the fish to bite

Or waiting for wind to fly and kite

Or waiting around for Friday night

Or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

Or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

Or a string of pearls or a pair of pants

Or a wig with curls or Another Chance

Everyone is just waiting.

Sounds miserable doesn’t it!

I don’t know about you, but I always have my phone and a book on hand. My time is valuable, and if I can make any waiting time productive by progressing through a novel or checking and replying to messages or emails – it is ideal. But they are things to distract me from waiting. Distract me from the boredom of waiting. I’m not usually focused on the thing I’m actually waiting for. I need diversion. And because of that, when Joshua comes out of the shops, I’m not ready, haven’t made space for the thing he’s just acquired, or not ready to drive off or whatever.

As we know, the word ‘wait’ in the Bible is more than just sitting around, trying to think of diversions and ways to entertain myself.

The Hebrew ‘qavah’ means to wait actively with anticipation, hopefully watching God to act. Also, to hope for, and anticipate.

To help us visualise this, I think not of check-out queues or doctor’s waiting rooms, but of a waiter in a restaurant. When he or she waits, they are eagerly watching their customers, absolutely ready at the drop of a hat to come to their aid when they need something. (That’s the good restaurants anyway.) In this sense, waiting means to serve. It means to be ready and watching and attentive.

When it comes to our relationship with God, when we praise and worship, we are directed towards faithful, and attentive service. So worshipping Him can be our way of waiting. Psalm 37:9 says:

Those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the Earth.

So I wonder if you could take a moment now to think of how you are at waiting. How can you wait on the Lord better. or what can you do that directs you towards faithful, attentive service to God?