The Waiting Game

Proverbs 3:5-6  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

I like to call it “The Waiting Game.”  You know, that period of time when we are waiting for something.  It seems like we wait all the time in our everyday lives.  We wait in line at the grocery store, at the bank, at the DMV, at a stop light, at the doctor’s office.  (And recently, with all the new protocols of 2020, we seem to wait in line even more with stores only allowing a certain amount of customers in a store at a time!)

But we wait in our spiritual and emotional lives as well.  We wait for Mr. or Mrs. Right.  We wait for God’s direction and guidance.  We wait for God’s healing.  We wait for blessing.  We wait.  

But the question I want to pose is - “What are we doing WHILE we wait?”

Time is precious and we don’t want to waste it.  That’s why most of us tend to multitask throughout the day.  When we are baking something in the oven, we don’t just stand there and stare at the it until the buzzer goes off saying it’s done (assuming we remembered to start the timer!)  No, we do something else while waiting - the dishes, the laundry, make a phone call, etc.  

So why should it be any different in our spiritual life? 

When we are waiting on God, we should still keep busy doing something instead of “standing around” waiting for the answer.

I have had many times of waiting in my life.  In 2016, I went from being a busy mom and wife who was always cleaning, cooking, helping out at church, leading women’s meetings and helping my husband in ministry to a mom who suddenly struggled with walking, couldn’t stand long enough to prepare a full meal or clean anything on my own, and who become exhausted at even the simplest of tasks.  I had so many physical limitations that many of my previous “jobs” were just not feasible for me to do.  And so I entered a time of waiting and praying for healing.

For quite a while, I floundered on what I was to be doing.  Honestly, I felt like I had lost my whole identity so I sort of “checked-out” mentally and spiritually.  I didn’t know what I was to do now that everything was different and while I was waiting on God. 

Then one day the Lord showed me - “Just do what you already know you should be doing.”

I knew I should read my Bible - so I needed to keep doing that.  I knew I should stay faithful in church - so I should keep attending.  I couldn’t walk, but I could sit - so I should sit, talk with, and listen to those who need someone to do just that. I couldn’t easily corral a large group of kids in Sunday school exactly like I used to, but I could pray for and assist those who do.  And, most importantly, I have 4 children at home who still need a godly mother to train them.  So I should keep working on being that godly mother providing the training.

When in the waiting game, if we just sit around twiddling our thumbs until the answer comes, it is easier for discouragement, fear, and hopelessness to set in.  It is easier for us to lose sight of our faith.    

But there is much we can and should be doing while we are waiting for God to give His answer or to show us the next step.  There is a song that says, “I’ll worship while I’m waiting.”  We can still stay busy worshiping and serving Him.  Keep reading our Bibles.  Keep attending church.  Keep praying.  Keep on keeping on.  

That isn’t always easy.  Sometimes it is incredibly difficult.  It takes making the daily conscious decision to worship while waiting - to be “acknowledging Him in all our ways” as it says in Proverbs 3.  

The key to doing this is to cover yourself in God’s Word and His promises found there.  Read them.  Memorize them.  Say them to yourself whenever you feel overwhelmed.  Even if you feel you can do nothing else, just do that.

By doing these things - by actively working to wait well - we are leaving our worry at His feet and putting our trust in God’s hands.  We are trusting Him, knowing He will direct our paths. Then we can find comfort in doing what we know to do while waiting.  

It’s now been 4 years since I first started my waiting game.  In that time I have gone from struggling to walk to now a full-time wheelchair user. I don’t know if God will ever bring complete healing to my body this side of heaven.  But I do know that, while I am waiting, I can do what I know to be doing - worshipping and serving in the ways that I am able.  And when I am busy putting my focus on the Lord instead of on my situation, I  have less time to doubt, fear, worry or be discouraged.

So I now encourage you - when playing “The Waiting Game,” play it well.