The Waiting Room

Have you ever wondered how much of our lives we spend waiting?  There have been studies done on how much time workers spend in their cars on their commute every day.  But, I also wonder how much time we spend standing in line at the bank, for example, or at a restaurant, or checking in for a flight.  I was waiting in line at a small post office one day about to have my turn when a lady strolled up behind me and barreled on around to take the next position.  I was left shaking my head, assuming I had suddenly become invisible.  Waiting has never been my favorite thing to do; however, butting in line is not the answer.  You have probably all experienced this.

There are anxious times of waiting as we hold our breath for a diagnosis after tests are run, or as we nervously thumb through a magazine in anticipation of a loved one coming through surgery.  Of course, there are also nail-biting but exciting moments when we are about to take our wedding vows or perhaps we are on pins and needles awaiting the birth of a child.                                                                               

There is, of course, another waiting room which may someday hold us captive.  Not everyone goes there.  My friend’s husband skipped it by passing away in his sleep.  Another dear friend finished playing ping pong with his grandson, reached for water and was instantly gone.  But, some of us will face that wait some day.  How will we handle it?  My 100-year old friend (appropriately named) Faith, tells me every time I see her that she is ready for the Lord to come for her.  Yet, she spends her days in prayer for others and spreading love and joy where she lives.  When my mother-in-law was dying (at 58), she ministered to her pastor more than he did to her, he told us later.

We each have a number of days allotted to us.  We aren’t privy to that number.  We may get to 80 and feel pretty tired and think it’s time we moved on.  But, that may not be the way it goes.  In that regard, then, we may find ourselves in God’s Waiting Room.  Our time there need not be for naught.  We’ve seen that as long as we have life and breath, we have purpose.  Waiting isn’t necessarily a passive thing.  We can be doing while we wait.  It’s more constructive and certainly not as boring.

I’ve always loved older people.  Now that I have fallen into the category, it’s getting increasingly difficult to find them!  But, the ones that have been in my life ( and some who still are) have shown me how to age “gracefully”, which I never thought possible.  They have shown me the value of “hanging in there” and trusting God to the very end, no matter how long the wait may be.  I pray I may follow their example.

How about you?  How are you at waiting?

“If a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all…”  (Ecclesiastes 11:8)

In Memory of:

Doris Hubbard    (1924-2022)