Waiting

I was not born with long suffering and patience as natural talents. To me, waiting always felt like a gap, the period between meaningful activities, or worse, frustrating. But waiting as it is intended in the Bible has purpose; it requires and builds faith.

When we moved to Oahu, Hawaii, Curtis was not making a livable wage for a family of six. I decided to take a part-time job to help with the budget shortfall. I thought I would find something easy that did not require much skill or training. So I applied to be a waitress. To my surprise, two restaurants hired me. What I thought would happen is for someone to hand me an order pad and tell me to learn a little about the menu. The laugh is on me! Both restaurants required two weeks of intense training, tasting, and shadowing before I was sent out to take my first order alone. The tips and tricks of the seasoned staff shared blew my mind! I had no idea the hospitality industry was so complex and intentional.

I learned that timing and attention to detail make or break the dining experience. Many people plan and save for these outings, which are cherished celebrations or special treats to be treasured. My role was to deliver them not just with plates of food and keep their drinks full, but to help them build the memorable experience they were expecting. I could not have been more naive about the importance of the waitstaff.

These positions were not brainless work that any person with a pulse could perform. They proved to be demanding, challenging, and complicated assignments.

In all honesty, I am not a very good waitress, but I learned a great deal from my time working as one:

• Waiting is about actively doing behind-the-scenes preparation for the next course.
• Waiting requires a good sense of planning and anticipation.
• Timing and attention to detail can make an ordinary night out extraordinary.
• Waiting is the art of providing beyond what the person at the table asks.
• When the waiting is done, be ready to deliver a speedy checkout.

Likewise, when God calls us to wait on Him, He is not asking us to sit back and do nothing. If God has made a promise, it will come to pass in His timing. The waiting can cause us to doubt the promise. That is why we must remember God is a good father and all of His Words are true. Like the waitress taking our order and leaving the table, we have confidence that what we have asked will be delivered.

How much more would the Heavenly Father, who loves us enough to pay for our sins with the blood of His own Son, do to bring us into His great plan for our lives? The waiting requires us to reflect on God’s goodness. It demands our faith to act to move the mountain, no matter how long it takes. It is necessary, while waiting for God’s plans to be accomplished, that we put ourselves in the position to be ready to execute when the door opens.

The key to waiting on God:

• Believe He has planted the good plan in your heart and mind.
• Know and reflect that He is a good father.
• Do the work drawing close to God while waiting remains.
• Praise and thank Him all along the way! He inhabits our praise!

Once God moves and delivers on His promise, record the testimony. You will need the reminder the next time we must wait. Little by little, our faith grows, and we begin to view periods of waiting as more time with the Lord.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is Spirit.”

(2 Corinthians 3:18)

Happy Honeymooning!