Waiting Is Not Easy
Friday, August 11, 2017Two years ago, I stumbled upon this book "Waiting Is Not Easy!" by Mo Willems in a bookstore while waiting for something big. I...
Friday, August 11, 2017
Lesson #1: Ask some questions. But don't ask about everything for it becomes a disease. In the Bible, we are not meant to know everything. We are meant to know in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). The whole picture is not for us to piece together. God knows what He is doing. Let Him move on our behalf.
Lesson #2: Complaining was the waste of time and not the act of waiting. When we complain, we focus on the negativities and falsities. We are making other people feel that we are suffering. We act like a kid making our parents guess what we are asking for. God wants us to not grumble or question (Philippians 2:14). Instead of complaining, why don't we give thanks for what we already have? It is how God wants us to respond (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Lesson #3: Waiting is part of the process. God gave me a time to wait and do other things or even rest while at it. What for? He allowed it in order to teach me some life pointers. It was all part of His grand scheme. Nothing was wasted. He reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3 wherein He stated that there is an appointed time for everything. If we become more practical and insist on our own ways and try to speed things up with our own might and power, then most likely we may get what we want. But along the way, we can make unnecessary actions that hurt other people or make everything more confusing than it already is. God's timing is perfect.
Lesson #4: Giving up is not an option. It's easy to say that we should give up when things go awry. But if we do, are we sure that we will not be able to achieve what we are waiting for? How certain are we that we don't stand a chance? Apart from that, we will miss out on the teachings that God intended for us to learn. God can surely reinforce it again in another time but if we obey Him early, then we can avoid the mishaps that are not meant to happen in the first place.
Lesson #5: Find joy in waiting. There are a lot of things to discover about ourselves and the world around us if we only let our senses perceive them. Doing things that bring us joy can involve learning a new skill, developing skills you already have, spending quality time with loved ones, or exploring a new place. We won't feel like we are waiting when we are enjoying what we are doing.
Lesson #5: Find joy in waiting. There are a lot of things to discover about ourselves and the world around us if we only let our senses perceive them. Doing things that bring us joy can involve learning a new skill, developing skills you already have, spending quality time with loved ones, or exploring a new place. We won't feel like we are waiting when we are enjoying what we are doing.
I am writing about these lessons in order to remind myself that the waiting seasons will continue to exist. The most essential part of it is the response, how we will deal with them and what we will do while I wait. Every time a waiting game is played, I need to buckle up my full armor, put on a brave face, and move forward. Get busy while waiting. Enjoy the season of anticipation.
It is without a doubt that waiting is not easy. The battle may turn out stressful, deadly, or even silent and boring. But God is on our side, fighting with us 24/7. People may think that we are doing nothing or we are wasting our time. If we already listened to God and have done our parts, then there is nothing to worry about. We can be certain in His word that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). Even if there seems to be no progress, there is progress beyond what our eyes can see.
Waiting does not entail being idle. It only means being expectant for something greater ahead.
For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end---it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.
Habbakuk 2:3
