Necessary Waiting

I despise waiting.  Like, seriously! I can shop for hours in a department store searching for the perfect dress, or shoes, or accessories, or fragrance…I’m digressing—sorry.  I dislike waiting so much that even after hours of searching for the perfect “thing” if the line is too long, I’ll leave everything right there and go home.  That sounds terrible, but it’s true.

Recently, my ability to wait patiently was tested.  My mother and I went to have our annual mammograms together, on a Friday afternoon and by that following Tuesday morning I had received two calls from the radiology department.  The second called revealed that there was an “undetermined mass” in my left breast and that I needed to return for subsequent exams that would take hours to complete.  Although I needed further testing, I couldn’t get an appointment until the next Tuesday.  Immediately, the wheels in my head started turning.  I have cancer, something is wrong, my emotions ran the gamut.  As you can imagine, my next thought was about the “wait.”  An entire week to wait, fret and worry. I hate waiting.

I learned something that week.  I can wait, and patiently, might I add.  Don’t misunderstand me; there were moments that I felt like pulling my blond hair out by its gray roots.  Seven days…there were moments when my nerves were like a tightly wound clock…tick, tick, tick!  But then, I would hear the voice of the Lord say, “wait patiently,” and a sense of calm would wash over me.  The Bible says in Isaiah 40:31—“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”

Sometimes, beloved, we have no choice but to wait. And while we wait on the LORD to answer our prayers, we must learn to find strength in Him.  Waiting can be difficult, especially when there is an unknown factor involved.  I promise, if you wait on Him, you'll never wait in vain.

Our Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help me to rest in Your presence and trust in Your plan for my life.  Keep me on the path that will help me to lay down my will for Yours.  Finally, God, I thank You for allowing me to see Your perspective instead of my own.  In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.