The Beauty in Waiting
Jan 2 2024 - Amy Raby
My mind created a small frame to behold the glorious Autumn-scape. The wind gave movement and the leaves brought beauty and color to my eyes. Five minutes…ten minutes…I sat and stared out my window. I was intentionally quiet, contemplating the few verses I had just read, asking the Holy Spirit to speak…
Waiting is perhaps one of the most frustrating parts of life for so many. I’ve never met a person who loves to be slowed down. Who finds thrill in the delay or lengthiness of a matter? Our instant gratification culture hasn’t done us any favors. If I have to wait more than two days for a delivery or more than five minutes in a line, I find myself wondering (dramatically) “what has happened to the world!?”
For Christians, the wait is uniquely challenging because we find ourselves conflicted. Waiting is frustrating and mysterious, yet waiting is a virtue. It can feel torturous and unwelcome, but patience is divinely named as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Waiting is avoided, yet commended and commanded in Scripture.
Psalm 37:7 “Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him…”
Psalm 33:20 “We wait for the Lord; he is our help and shield.”
Isa. 30:18 “...All who wait patiently for him are happy.”
Isa. 40:31 “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…”
Luke 12:36 “You are to be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet…”
When asked to describe Jesus in one word, modern-day Christian philosopher, Dallas Willard, simply replied, “relaxed”. Jesus allowed interruptions. He made others wait for Him. He disappeared into the wilderness in times of chaos and need.
Waiting can be the slow, unhurried or relaxed way of living that Jesus portrayed, but it also carries the idea of being attentive, lingering, and looking eagerly. Think about Mary who anointed our Lord’s feet with her precious oil and tears. I can’t imagine she was in a hurry even though she had haters in her midst (John 12). She was attentive to Jesus, fully present in her moment of offering. I imagine He was as well.
Waiting is a wrestling match. Whether it’s waiting for your future spouse to show up on your doorstep, for direction in your next career move, or for healing, restoration, or guidance, we all struggle in that in-between space before God seems to answer. But I wonder if there’s something we can do to help. Just like the ants who “store up their food in summer” in hopes to be ready for the winter when things are scarce and hidden, can we practice waiting on the Lord to strengthen this spiritual muscle? I think we can.
One very simple and practical way to wait on the Lord is to slow down when you are spending intentional time with Him. Matthew 13 compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure in a field and to fine pearls. When we quickly read the Bible, we may walk away with one pearl (our Father loves to give out good gifts), but if we wait on the Lord, lingering and looking earnestly for treasure in the text, you may come away with several pearls! I experienced this gift of waiting recently…
My mind created a small frame to behold the glorious Autumn-scape. The wind gave movement and the leaves brought beauty and color to my eyes. Five minutes…ten minutes. I sat and stared out my window. I was intentionally quiet, contemplating the few verses I had just read, asking the Holy Spirit to speak. I sat in silence, taking in His glorious creation. At first glance, I noticed the giant yellow leaves hanging from trees. A spiral of red ones wrapped around a trunk like Christmas ribbon. Squirrels ran across my scene. A fence row filled the bottom half. Ten minutes…fifteen. I noticed 33 fence posts in the row, dotted with dark brown knot holes and green and white speckles of moss. The squirrels were chasing one another. Pops of yellow shone amidst dark bushels of green. Trunks were firm and resolute while smaller branches swayed and bowed in the wind. Dry fallen leaves as ground cover. Fifteen minutes…twenty. I started to hear noises I had completely neglected before. A dog barking in the distance, the screech of a squirrel in play, the leaves dancing across the earth. More and more was revealed as I waited. My lingering in the moments exposed details I would have completely missed if I walked away after just a few minutes of gazing.
This is the invitation offered every time you engage with Jesus. He is an infinite kaleidoscope of wonder——the tiniest shift and everything is new and beautiful. How often is He treated like a drive-thru employee? Place the order, barely make eye-contact, take the fast food with hardly a “thank you, have a nice day.” If you want to get better at wading through the waters of waiting, start waiting on Jesus in the moments you are with Him. Take your time. Mull over the Scripture you read. Ask Him to speak and then wait to listen. Perhaps if you have a history of waiting on Him in these moments, you will be more trusting of Him in the long seasons. There is beauty in the waiting if you do what waiting wants you to do. If you slow down and see the wonder all around you, be fully present with Jesus. Don’t neglect what He might say or do as you wait. There are pearls all around us, don’t miss them in your haste for the future or the life you’ve planned for yourself.