Hold, please.

Wait.  A word with four letters.  This little word is nobody’s favorite.  We come into the world with an aversion to waiting. 

Wait – the verb – is defined as ‘the act of remaining inactive in one place while expecting something.’  That is precisely what I do not like about waiting – it is the act of not acting.  Human logic begs to know how in the world such inactivity can be helpful or fruitful?  Alas, we have named our tribe the human race – not the human pause.  Who ever wishes for a red light?  No, I’ll have the green, thank you.

Then there’s ‘wait’ – the noun - defined as ‘the period of time one may be required to be engaged in the act of being inactive in expectation of an impending event.’   Ah yes, we’ve all known something of the dreaded waiting period.  Waiting for the bus, the paycheck, the baby to be born, the baby to sleep, the doctor to see you, the call, the light to change, the change to come, the wait to end. 

The urge to act, and the belief that being inactive is bad, are at the root of one of the greatest spiritual dilemmas known to mankind.  One need only observe a tennis match in progress to understand that the ball is not always in your court.  The need to hit the ball when it is in one’s court is only half of the story – the other half is to wait and observe while someone else has control of the ball.  It follows that it is never a good idea for one to try to control the ball when it is not in one’s court.  Waiting profits much in such a scenario.  So there you have it – waiting can be beneficial, helpful, even fruitful!

For me – if it’s inevitable – this business of having to be ‘actively inactive in anticipation of being active again’ – then – by all means – let’s put as positive a spin as possible on the whole thing.  Oh – wait! -(no pun intended)- God already did that.  “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…Wait on the Lord and be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart.”  These two scriptures speak of a very real connection between waiting and strength.  Could it be we are growing stronger as a result of choosing to wait on Him?  Only if you believe His Word….

…and that would be me.  I believe.  Call me crazy, but I still believe in absolute truth, and I believe truth begins with God’s Word.  There have been several generations of folks who have put it to the test, and found it to be rock-solid, sure, and dependable. 

It’s time to redeem those forced pauses – to remember and believe that God is always working.  When the ball is in His court, He knows what to do with it. 

I will wait, wait, wait upon the Lord.

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