Just you wait. Is patience a virtue?
It can be. Our society doesn’t lend itself to being patient. Here’s proof:
- microwave ovens
- drive-through anything
- direct deposits
- high-speed internet
- overnight delivery
- instant grits (yecch)
Know where I’m coming from? We are encouraged, even taught, to be impatient.
“Just you wait” can be a threat, too, depending on it’s usage. For instance, you may have heard something like this when you were a kid: “Just you wait until your father gets home.” Implication: This ain’t gonna be pretty.
So, when we are forced to wait, pretty much everything in our nature rebels.
Some things can’t be rushed – harvested crops, for instance. Physical growth of a child. We are locked into a 24-hour day; you can’t negotiate for more or less.
Ancient script has a lot to say about patience, especially waiting on the Lord. A sampler:
Therefore, return to your God,Observe kindness and justice,
And wait for your God continually.Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
There are lots more.
This is not going to be a big revelation to anyone, but these days, we are being forced to wait. I’m not talking about quarantine necessarily, because that can be different depending on your location and the suggestions (mandates?) of the authorities. I’m not going there (be thankful – I got nothing to say that I want to use bandwidth on. One day, perhaps.)
It occurs to me that, for the believer, waiting is part of the spiritual condition. And it can make you very, very tired.
People, you are currently part of The Plan. Waiting is part of it.
- Waiting can make you bone-weary, but you are still living and breathing.
- The ebb and flow of your life may have been disrupted. Your routine has been blown to pieces. Yet God has set a rhythm in nature and in life, and He’s adjusting, even changing it, for His purposes.
- That means something. We may not yet know what that “something” is, but rest assured He’s actively working, doing activity all around you.
- God is steadfast. Cling to that.
- The ordeal you’re facing may be taking a lot longer to resolve, and there might not be anything you can do about it.
- It may take longer still.
Know what? Just you wait.
You have done all you know to do to persevere. You’ve hung in there. You’ve prevailed.
What has happened in recent days is part of what is making you a new creation. You aren’t defined by your impatience or frustration.
Don’t forget that.
Just you wait. God is doing a new thing. That new thing is you.
Be blessed.