The Waiting Room [Part 1]

Patience adj

1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint

2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain

3: not hasty or impetuous

4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity 

One pertinent, ironic motto for more recent generations could be; I want patience - and I want it now! Whether it’s online download speed, waiting in line for your morning takeaway coffee, or waiting for that elusive car parking space – waiting evidently drives us crazy! 

We have become accustom to the upside of modern conveniences, which have dramatically reduced waiting times, and effectively fashioned our expectations. Consequently, society has become more demanding and less patient – but when it comes to what really matters have we lost the art of waiting?

Technology has speed up many things; air travel gets us to our destination in hours, not weeks; a computer via the internet delivers electronic mail faster than it would take to place a stamp on an envelope; a digital camera lets you see your picture instantly, where previously you would need to first finish the film before getting it developed; and a microwave oven accelerates the heating process - but are we able to speed up the timing of God?

The Waiting Room is an unspecified time of waiting, and often endured in suspense! We all could identify in some way with the emotional experience of the Bible's Abraham and Sarah as they endured The Waiting Room. Their faith was being challenged, as ours is from time to time. Time after all, is an effective revealer and shaper of character, and the following sequence of events is an ideal example of what impact patience (or impatience in this case) can have on our decisions and the fulfillment of our dreams.

A vulnerable time, a flawed conclusion followed by an impulsive and fraught approach lead to a serious error of judgment in a moment of justifiable despair. Years had slowly passed since God deposited vision into the heart of Abraham about blessing and influence, and becoming the father of many nations - but as yet the father of none! Isn’t it true that at times there is a great disconnect between the grand vision, and the reality of your present situation! And in a sensitive moment of the month, like many others I guess, Abraham and Sarah desperately wrestled with their doubts, and assisted by rational explanation convinced themselves that they had no other option but to implement an alternative plan. Obviously misinterpreting the following quote that; the secret of patience is doing something else in the mean time!

Abraham regrettably fathered his wife’s maidservant’s child, but it wasn’t long after this as the book of Hebrews records, Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. No matter the impossibility or timeframe, let’s not jump the gun on God! As He promises, He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 

Patience in contemporary times may well be a rare character quality, but for those who desire to see a measure of success in life, it’s one worth developing, and as the Psalmist says; God, the one and only - I'll wait as long as He says. Everything I hope for comes from Him, so why not?

Stay Posted for The Waiting Room Continued...