By Sandra Jean Charite
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord Psalm 27:14.
Can I say that, I hate going to the doctor’s office. I find myself being punctual and arriving on time, completing paper work, and getting insurance verified but then the nurses still have me waiting. This waiting can turn from minutes to hours. So, I try to occupy my time by looking at the television in the waiting room, reading through the magazines in the lobby, checking my social media on my phone, or texting my friends randomly. But, somehow, the wait always gets to me. And, even though, the wait might have been 15 to 20 minutes, the waiting room experience seems like forever.
I am the Lord, in its time I will do this swiftly. Isaiah 60:22
So, is it just me or when it comes spiritual blessings we expect God to exclude us from the waiting room? I’ve been guilty of that. Like, I’m a child of God, there is no way I should wait for an interview, but I need to walk into the company’s Human Resources office and tell them my start date. Or, God, I shouldn’t have to wait for a husband, bring him at my request. But, He reminds us in Isaiah 60:22, “I am the Lord, in its time I will do this swiftly”.
Waiting is always connected to a promise.
Our waiting can sometimes be like a pregnant woman. From the moment she discovers she is pregnant to the birth of the child (promise), there is a waiting process. And, I can tell you this, from the outside looking in, that waiting is not easy as the expected mom may endure physical and emotional burdens. Yet, the goal is to give birth to a healthy baby. This is all part of being in the waiting room. Funny thing is I heard a preacher say that, “Waiting is always connected to a promise.” There is promise waiting to be fulfilled but the waiting involves a lot of strength.
There was no exemption for me, for the faithful God knew that He was developing and preparing me in the waiting room.
I’ve cried in the waiting room because I didn’t think it was fair. I felt overlooked, forgotten, and even neglected. I followed all the rules, yet I still had to wait. I put God first and I still had to wait. I went to church, got involved in the ministry, and paid my tithes, but I still had to wait. There was no exemption for me, for the faithful God knew that He was developing and preparing me in the waiting room. Despite how long you are waiting, He promised to fulfill the purpose that He has for your life. So ultimately, it’s not how long you are waiting for “The race is not given to the swift or the battle to the strong neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” (Ecclessiastes 9:11).
In the meantime, while you’re sitting in the waiting room, frustrated or wanting to go off on someone, talk to God or even mediate on His Word. Reflect on His goodness and praise Him for all that He has done in your life. Yes, the flesh does not want to wait. It wants everything accessible immediately like the drive-thru service but waiting is connected to a promise and God will ensure that you receive it in His timing.
