Waiting Rooms

I have waited in a few waiting rooms in my time. At first it can feel like quite a relief as so often I have hurried to the appointment and am glad to find that they are not waiting on me. I usually look around the room at my "competitors" to see if any look at all like they might want to engage in a little friendly conversation. However, usually they all have their "don't talk to me, I'm busy waiting" face on. At that point I pull out the book or project that I brought with me so I don't waste time. The thing about waiting rooms is that you never know when you will be called on to meet with the person you are there to see. It could be in 30 seconds, 30 minutes or what seems more like 30 hours. It's impossible to know when they will call your name but you would really rather it be now! Then what's really upsetting is that you see someone who came in after you being ushered into the next room. What's with that?!

I'd have to say though that the worst I have ever experienced has been in God's waiting room. It always seems like a long wait there. You'd think, wouldn't you, that at least God would arrange it so that you don't have to wait! At times He's left me waiting for what seems like years and in some cases actually was...many years. For whatever reason He has left me there I'm almost certain He's forgotten that He and I even have an appointment. Sometimes I'm in a great deal of pain and desperately need Him to take care of it...but often times it appears He is in no hurry at all. That's so frustrating because I know He could fix my aches and pains in a second if He chose to. What's He doing?!

The other day I waited 2 hours to be seen at the doctors office. Eventually I was the only one left in the waiting room - had they forgotten about me? But no after 1 1/2 hours they took me back to the doctors office...where I waited some more. If I could just see what was going on outside of the waiting room perhaps I would understand and be able to appreciate the necessity of the wait. It turns out that one patient had a blood clot in his leg and two others had major problems as well. But don't you wish that God would just give you a glimpse at what's going on out there sometimes?

It seems that God is not in the business of just fixing things. When I think about it He likes things to grow...like our faith, our love relationship with Him and others, not to mention who we are as His 'ever in process' creation. One of the benefits of being 'in process' for a while is that you can look back and for the most part see that He knew what He was doing. I have found that God has used His waiting room for many things in my life. Things like getting my attention, making me stop and face the realities in my life that need addressing, producing character and perseverance, sometimes it has even been for the benefit of others and often times providing protection I don't even know I need. There are times when I simply have no idea why all the waiting...but I don't need to know. When it comes down to it, all I really need to know is that my God is totally trustworthy, faithful and good.


Waiting

Waiting is a killer
It requires me to be stiller
Stiller than ever I’m contented to be

When the future is hazy
It makes me feel crazy
Crazy with frustration over what I can’t see

In Your arms I must rest
But it feels like a test
Test and know my heart, that’s my plea

As one in the dark
Bring Your peace to my heart
Heart of trust so that fear may will flee

I will know no disgrace
If I live by His grace
Grace and power that’s sufficient for me

7-3-06

Psalm 139:23, 24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Isaiah 50:7,10
Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame...Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.