I Will Wait

I'm very impatient. I don't like waiting for anything. To be honest, I don't think any of us like waiting. When driving our cars we always move over to get in the lane that is shortest. When deciding to check out of a grocery store, we eye the shortest line. Sometimes we even consider getting rid of a few items just so that we can stand in the 10 items or less line. Waiting sucks.

I realize that waiting is difficult for me in many different ways. And it's not because I always like to be first (contrary to what others think), but it's difficult for me because I actually think my timing is better. I think my idea of when things are supposed to happen is better.

I actually believe my plans are better!
............................my idea is better!
............................my timing is better!
............................my schedule is better!
............................my way is better!

This is a difficult truth for me to admit especially after typing it out. It's difficult because I realize how ridiculous it sounds. My wife and I waited 8 years before our son was born. Not because we wanted to wait that long, but because our timing wasn't better. We waited another 4 and a half years for our daughter. Not because we wanted to wait that long, but because our timing wasn't better.

I'm still waiting for lots of different things. I'm sure you are too. In the Bible, God's people did a whole lot of waiting. The Israelites waited a generation for many things. The book of Psalms records psalmist crying out, groaning, and longing for God to move in some mighty way because they grew weary of waiting. I can really resonate with that. But something hit me the other day that was prompted by an individual who does not know me very well (God tends to use the unexpected quite a bit). This individual said to me, "Stop looking ahead to what's next and be where you are." It may not sound like the most profound statement, but it's caused me to rethink a lot of things. I believe those simple words, "be where you are" carry a lot of weight for me. Probably more now than ever before.

So today, I'm trying to be where I am. I'm trying to embrace the now instead of clinging to the hope that's ahead. Not because hope is a bad things to hold onto, but because it often distracts us from what God is doing in us today. I have hope for many things in the future, but I don't want to miss out on today because I'm so focused on tomorrow.

Now I'll be bold as well as strong
And use my head alongside my heart
So tame my flesh and fix my eyes
A tethered mind freed from the lies

But I'll kneel down, wait for now
I'll kneel down know my ground

I will wait, I will wait for you

- Mumford & Sons