Hurry Up and Wait

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.”

– Acts 1:4

We live in a 24/7 world of hurry — one of instant communications, Walmart Supercenters, and microwave popcorn. And just about anything we want is available through a mere tap on our smartphone. But take another look, and you'll discover that we're not always on the move. Efficiency experts report that on average, we spend about 45 to 62 minutes per day waiting. That covers common tasks like waiting in line at the bank, waiting at the restaurant for the server to take our order, and even waiting for our car to fill up at the gas pump. (All-in-all, that’s about three years of waiting by the time we reach age 70!)

Few people like to wait, and multi-tasking to make the most of down-time has become a valued life-skill. But the fact is that waiting isn't always a waste. Instead, it can be an essential part of God's plan for our lives — a process that enables us to become. This concept might be difficult to grasp because the human viewpoint of time differs greatly from that of our Creator. Here’s how the apostle Peter puts it into perspective:

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends. To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day."

Christ-followers must 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's when we're so humbled and powerless that we realize we can do nothing on our own.

Maybe our non-stop, 24/7 world of hurry actually revolves around waiting. So, with that in mind, let’s make the most of our time 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. As Psalm 130:5 reminds us:

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."