Waiting.......

I will stand my watch, and set myself on the rampart.  And watch and see what He will say to me.  

And what I will answer when I am corrected.  

Then the Lord answered me and said, “with the vision. And make it plain on the tablets. 

That He may run who read it”.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak and it will not lie.  

Though it tarries, wait for it.  Because it will surely come.  

It will not tarry....  

Habakkuk 2: 1-3

I think sometimes we forget that the word “wait” is a verb.  I know that for myself there have been times that I have become stagnant in my waiting.  Thinking that when it is time, I will know and then take action.  Or, thinking that it will never happen, I take my own action - take matters into my own hands - and this usually never ends well.....

I recently returned from a trip to Israel.  I have a confession to make that during this trip I got a lesson in waiting.  It cost me quite a bit of my extra cash and a good deal of my pride.  My unwillingness to wait for as simple a thing as laundry... It was a learning curve that taught me to ask questions first, listen and really... just wait for Jerusalem where it will cost a whole lot less to do laundry..  

This is a very simple example, but trust me when I say that the lesson was clearly learned and will not need to be repeated.    

My own confession shows that I can and have been inpatient with my ability to wait with myself and admittedly with others.... In those moments I am humbled by the Love of God who is ever patient with me.  Love that gives grace to my struggle and error and loves me regardless of my impatience.  Love that holds me accountable to remember that lesson.  To learn from it in my own life so that I do not push it into the lives of others who are on their own journey.  Love that provides, redeems and covers, and reminds me that my identity is not result of my impatience. My identity is securely established in the truth of God’s grace for me in that moment. 

God is ever patient and ever active all at the same time.  He does not stagnate in the process of “waiting” for me to become all the He has purposed for my journey.  He knows and understands that the lessons I go through along the way help create in me His likeness and His love.  Those lessons cause grace to grow in my heart for myself and others who are going through the same struggle of understanding the movement that happens when we are called to wait.    

So how does one wait with action?  How are we to patient and listen without becoming stagnant in the process.  What stops us from giving our journey into the hands of another because it seems easier than the hard moments of choosing for ourselves? And how do we stand along side another - encourage each other - and not get our hands all over their journey? 

There are so many voices that will tell us to move forward before it’s time.  Voices that may actually mean well for us, but don’t see the whole picture.  There are voices that also want us to move forward so that they don’t have to be patient as wait as well.  The voices that want to “manage” our journey and get the credit for the process.  

I wait for a living.  I watch and I wait.  I encourage the one who is on their journey into a new season or birthing a new life, to be watchful and ready, but to also be willing to wait.    I give them practical options on how to wait, but most of all I get out of the way and let them take their journey.  It they need I am there, if not I just make sure everyone has food and water along the way.

I want to encourage us all to let our only striving be that of entering into the rest that comes with active waiting.  Be the voice of love that encourages the journey of another, but does not push.  Get them water, make sure they are fed, loved and heard along the way.  Remind them of who they are and not that moment that they are in.  And when the moment comes and the “action happens”, cheer them on as you would want to be cheered on.  No matter how small or how epic the moment may be.  

Waiting is hard but often times it is the most important action we can take. 

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits.

and in His word I do hope.

My soul waits for the Lord 

more than those who watch for the morning--

Yes, more then those who watch for the morning.

Psalm 130:5-6