Wait, there might be something to this

Walking with God is…

you know, when you’re

working out

your salvation and your

flesh is dying.

It’s a process. A journey

that’s well worth it.

I write this as I wait, wait to sleep, wait for the sun; wait for Netflix to load, whatever comes first. Life is full of waiting, there may be more standstill then action. Regardless of circumstances, waiting is a master at catching us all. If it always seems to find us, what do we do with it? Waiting is not exactly the kind of company that can be kicked out. It just shows up unannounced, enters without invitation and stomps through the living room, getting comfy on a couch that doesn’t belong to it. So if waiting refuses to go and it’s hard to know when it will show, how do we handle the unwanted guest, other than glaring across a silent table?

To start, it’s a good idea to not think of it directly. Don’t face the waiting factor head on. Instead of mentally dissecting all the ‘what ifs’ in the cause of anticipation think about what doesn’t have to wait. What’s right here, right now? Focus on that. No matter where we end up we will still have ourselves. So take the quiet time, however long or short it may be, to do some personal appreciation. You can never go wrong investing in yourself. “Remember that time I really took the time to love me? Yeah, that was stupid”-said no one who knows the value of self-respect. Although there’s a good amount of people out there (including Jennifer Lawrence) that hate people who say they love exercise, it is something worthy of taking a liking to. Exercise is a great way to feel better, literally. It’s an all-natural mood stabilizer. The world’s most underused antidepressant. It can be P90X or a walk around the neighborhood, just do something to move-your body will thank you.

It’s not about complaining about the traffic when you’re already late, it’s about seizing the opportunity for fifteen extra minutes of good music, or getting a chance to call someone you care about. Don’t focus on the motionless, seemingly unending line of cars, just enjoy your vehicle whether it’s moving or not. The thing about waiting is that it won’t last forever even though it sometimes feels like it will. The time will pass anyway the only question is; how will you wait, miserably or majestically? Misery is easy and there’s no doubt it’ll always be there, since it does love company but I’d rather be majestic while I’m waiting. Like a lion, think about how majestic they look with their manes and their stealthy prowl. They’re not always ripping apart wildebeests, most of the time they’re just waiting, regally.

Still have the bitter feeling of ‘why not now?’ I for one do not have an answer for that as I am not the planner of people’s lives, I do however, know the One that is. He was kind enough to write down the universal promise of our future: “I know the plans I have for you, declares The Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”-Jeremiah 29:11 Let’s look at those who successfully endured the waiting game. A few legendary souls that surrendered to the fact that no matter the feeling, it will take as long as it will take and my God is a good God who knows what He’s doing.

Moses. Joseph. Abraham. David. Four men who were all just as human and just as flawed as you and I that left eternal legacies in the scriptures, but it took awhile for each of them to fulfill their destiny. I would list the time span it took for these heroes to become fully developed but as a kindness to those in the middle of waiting I won’t. Honestly, it’s straight up ridiculous, speaking out of  a narrow minded view of course. That’s why we can’t make it about the waiting. It’s not about the waiting it’s about the moments. Just stick to the concrete truths: God is good. You are loved. Love people. Never stop loving you. Live like that and the waiting doesn’t seem so bad.