patiently waiting on nothing

How many times did my mom tell me to “Be Patient!” while I was growing up? I mean, if I had a nickel for every time, I would be Seriously. Rich.

And then God tells us to wait, and be patient. A. Lot.

But in most, if not all, of those instances, from my childhood memories or passages of scripture, when we are told to wait, we’re waiting ON, or FOR, something.

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 33:20
We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

Psalm 37:34
Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land;

Psalm 38:15
I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.

Psalm 40:1
I waited patiently for the LORD; he
turned to me and heard my cry.

Psalm 130:5
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:6
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Isaiah 8:17
I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.

Lamentations 3:24
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

What do you do when you find yourself waiting, on nothing? When you find yourself ready to…” race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place...

...[a place of] just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting. (*thanks Dr. Seuss!)


Have you ever been there? Just waiting? On nothing? **sigh** It’s a weird place to be! When you find yourself graduated from all your degrees, when you have that job you sought, when you find that relationship that has eluded you for so many years, when you get that house you wanted, when you get home from that trip you were looking forward to… and what’s next? You don’t know!

That, my friends, is when I think patience is tested the most. When you don’t even know what you’re waiting for but you want it to be BIG - something GRAND for the Lord. Something that will rock the world and bring millions to the Lord. Something that will change history and generations to come because of your life and faith. but you. don't. know. what. it. is... but you trust that it’s good. Because it’s God. And He’s good.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

And how is this going to happen? By us being still?
CRAZY!!! But maybe!

Things that make you go "Hhmmm..."