In the Waiting Room

Nobody likes to wait. And you can put me at the head of that line.

It doesn’t matter if it’s waiting for a cup of coffee in the morning, or waiting for a date to show up on my doorstep, I hate waiting in all of its forms.

So it comes as a bit of an inconvenience to know that God’s love language to us is one of waiting.

Well, maybe not his love language, but for sure His steady method with us!

It’s a method He’s used through the ages and He’s not about to stop now.

Start with Abraham. He waited interminably almost but not quite hopelessly for a promised heir not to mention the promised land.

Then go to Isaac and Jacob, and Joseph, and Moses. And don’t forget David and Daniel and Naomi and Elijah. Did I forget Joshua and Caleb and Esther and Job? This could take forever. I think I’ll stop right here with examples.

Being an ER doctor I feel like I have a special expertise in the area of waiting.  But the funny thing about waiting is that the perspective changes when you’re on the other side of it. I’ve jotted down some thoughts on waiting that you may find helpful if you’re finding yourself, well, still waiting:

1. The waiting always seems longer for the one who is waiting. Greater truth has never been spoken. A thousand years with God are like a day and a day like a thousand. While the clock is ticking by in the ER waiting room, time is flying for the ER doctor. The pace is quick, and decisions snap. And before you know it, your time will come! Don’t give up too soon. Hang in there.

2. Out of sight but not out of mind. Just because you’re in the waiting room doesn’t mean you’re forgotten. There is an interesting invention in the ER called a computerized tracking board. Every second of the day I have total access to every patient in the unit from the time they walk into triage to the time they leave. Just because you are in the waiting room and not in the exam room does not mean that the doctor doesn’t know exactly who you are, where you are, or what’s wrong with you. Same with God. He knows your need. He knows your location. He’s got you covered.

3. Don’t forget about triage. The fact that you’re waiting may mean that someone else could not afford to. I’m not sure how God’s triage system works exactly, but I know enough about Him to know that He doesn’t make folks wait unnecessarily. And grant it, God can do all things at once, but perhaps while you’re waiting someone sicker than you is being cared for. Grow in compassion for others while you wait.

4.  Use your waiting. The more you focus on the waiting the more frustrated you will feel. Stop looking at the clock. Grab a book instead. Talk to the person sitting next to you. Or as my pastor likes to say “bloom where you’re planted.” The waiting season is meant to be a growing season. Let it.

5. Sometimes the waiting is the best part. You know that feeling. You’re ecstatic. You’ve been waiting forever but your number has finally been called. Before you know it, though, you’re being poked with needles and IV’s and the test results return – grim. Sometimes the waiting part is the easiest part. Enjoy the moment. Remember to be thankful always.

6. Plan ahead. We have this thing in my ER now where you can text  and find out your wait times ahead of time. I love it. As a Christian, you can find out much about waiting and what happens in God’s Emergency Room by reading His word. Step up to the plate and be prepared. Get to know God and His ways, and as you grow in your trust, things won’t feel so bad.

Are you ready to embrace your waiting season yet? I know this illustration breaks down in some places, but you get the point. God is greater, God is mightier, God is able-er than any ER doctor. Personally, I’m choosing to be thankful for my waiting room.

How about you?

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