An adventure in waiting… What are we waiting for?!
Impatient already? LOL
Waiting is one of those non-negotiables of life. I’m sure it has something to do with the time-space continuum and we have Einstein to thank for that… relatively speaking, of course. Seriously though, waiting is forced upon every part of creation. Whether it be observed in the lifecycle of a seed that becomes a tree or endured in rush hour traffic, there’s always something that is next… and not yet. And whatever that next thing may be, it can impose feelings upon us ranging anywhere from anxious terror to frustration to joyous anticipation.
What we do in the midst of our waiting is what matters. I’ve found that there are effectively two categories that define all this doing – reaction and response. Allow me to explain a bit.
Reaction is just simply what happens when a stimulus is applied to an object or situation. If I’m navigating the family room barefoot in the dark and happen to encounter one of the dog’s half-gnawed bones, that stimulus is likely to get quite an immediate expression of pain at the very least. We can extrapolate this further to other unexpected situations like getting cut-off in traffic – of course, some reaction is necessary, such as swerving or slamming on the brakes, while other reaction is entirely inappropriate, such as certain choice words or hand-gestures. Yet we humans are often just as likely to react to less sudden or even anticipated situations – are we not?
Response, on the other hand, allows for thought, preparation, and calculation before doing what we do next. Curiously, a quick look into the etymology (word origin/history) of the word respond paints a picture of being poured out as a drink offering or libation. To respond is indeed often to give up something of oneself … to be poured out in a self-giving action rather than merely a spontaneous re-action. And what is given, at the very least, is one’s time … time to wait, even just a pause, before doing what we do next.
Recognizing our reactivity and learning to respond… that is the framework for considering our human behavior. But this framework alone gets us just far enough to realize that self-help is forever an exercise fraught with futility. And there’s no simple checklist or recipe to follow either. This learning is truly an art form – the AART of Waiting.
Now creativity may or may not be your thing, but thankfully our Creator has given us not only his call but also his provision and power. And although, if you’re anything like me, you discover on a regular basis that you are somewhat less than perfect, we have this glorious promise and assurance:
Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!
I say, “The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.”
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the person who seeks him. It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.
Lamentations 3:21-26
So, I invite you to join me on this prayerful journey as, through our waiting, our Creator restores in us the work of AART – yes, the masterpiece, He knows is there – for it is He Who imagined and formed us to begin with!