When You Have to Wait

Waiting has almost lost its place in the dictionary these days. People no longer understand what it means to wait. Your pizza delivery is late for one minute and the pizza store promises it’s free. That may be the price for not being true to a commitment, but that can also be seen as a reward for being impatient.

Why marinate when you can microwave? Why prefer something that would take too long over something that can be yours in one click? Would the taste be different? Would the satisfaction be any better?

Waiting is hardly considered an art, but an agony. When things don’t go the way you want them to and when you want them to, how desperately you would try to turn things around just to have it your way. To fit it into your own timetable.

However, while there are things in life that can be yours without having to think about and mope around for before you get, there remains those that are uncertain and are just beyond your control. And screaming at the top of your lungs “RIGHT NOW!” doesn’t just get you anywhere.

Waiting is a test. A test of character. A test of faith. It brings us to a point of humility that not everything is under our control. It leads us to acceptance of the circumstances that are way beyond us. It tells us that the delay does not necessarily mean denial of whatever we are waiting for. It teaches us how not to settle for anything less and expect for the best. It gives us room to check our own hearts and motives. Is this really what I need, or do I deserve something better? Am I really ready for this or do I want it now just for my own self-centered desires?

You see, there is more than just getting what you want when you want it. There is a season and reason for everything. It may not be in sync with our own calendar and we may not understand the reasons, but in stillness and trust, we get to realize that indeed, good things come to those who wait.