God's Waiting Room

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,

I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

-- Micah 7:7

Americans are good at many things, but waiting isn’t one of them. We love our fast food, microwave popcorn and next-day deliveries. We specialize in multitasking. And we sometimes even judge others by the speed and features of their smartphones.

We also have no time for delays. However, efficiency experts report that on average, we still spend nearly an hour each day waiting. That covers common scenarios like waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting for the waitress to take our food order, and even waiting to fill up the car at the gas pump. (All told, that’s about three years of waiting by the time we reach age 70!)

But waiting isn't always a waste—particularly when it comes to God. It’s actually an essential part of his plan for our lives: that process that enables us to grow and become. This concept might be difficult to grasp because the human perspective of time differs from the Creator's. While he

sees the past, present and future, we see only what's happening minute by minute. That's why we want to know (now!) when we’ll find another job, when we’ll sell our house and when we’ll find a spouse. And exactly when will we finally be healthy again? Inquiring minds want to know.

We don't have a clue. But God has known the answers since the foundation of the world.

The Apostle Peter puts our waiting into perspective: "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends," he wrote. "To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day."

As Christ-followers, we need to understand that what happens while we're waiting is often more important than what we're waiting for. Ask anyone who has spent grueling hours at the hospital contemplating the health and future of a loved one. Did their soul-searching experience bring a closer dependence on God? It should have. After all, it's when we're so humbled and powerless that we realize we can do nothing on our own and need him the most.

Downtime and anticipation are necessary components of our 24/7/365 world. So let's make the most of them in God's Waiting Room—a place where we can look for ways and opportunities to say yes to him with a sense of expectancy and hope. Whether we understand it or not, his timing is always perfect.

"Be still, and know that I am God," the Lord tells us through Psalm 46:10. "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."