Waiting ... waiting ... waiting

Do you like to wait? I don't! And yet a large part of our lives is spent waiting. Who hasn't had to stand in a long line waiting to check out in a store, especially a grocery store? Who hasn't waited in traffic, especially when you are in a hurry. I will often drive miles out of the way to avoid construction sites or other traffic problems because I hate to wait. And what parent hasn't stayed up at night waiting for their child to come home, especially when there is a storm or snow? At times we wait for the mail or a returned telephone call or for our car to be serviced. Some times we wait in excitement and anticipation - like waiting for a visit from someone special, a vacation, a birthday, or a holiday such as Christmas. Like many students and teachers, I often felt that I just couldn't wait for the weekend, or better yet, the summer. I remember as a college student waiting for a visit from my family or a chance to go home for a visit. Then there is the excitement of waiting for a new purchase to arrive - a car, some furniture, or maybe a new computer. Some times waiting can be much more serious. Students wait for test scores, grades, or college acceptance (or rejection). Many nights I've sat with a sick child or loved one just waiting for sunrise. In times like this, it seems like morning will never come. Sometimes we wait to see if we will be given a job, or in times like this, whether our job will be eliminated. It must be very hard to wait for a loved one to return who is in the service and many parents and family members must do this. It is so hard to wait when a loved one goes through surgery. Or, how about the waiting for results from the doctor? We've been waiting for the results of Dianne's annual biopsy and PTL they came back yesterday with no sign of cancer. We've also been experiencing waiting to see if my father's house would sell so we could begin to settle his estate. A month ago we put it on the market and in less than a week we had a signed agreement. But there were many hurdles to be crossed before settlement, and we waited, and waited. Yesterday we received a call telling us that all obstacles had been met and settlement was set for October 9. PTL! So waiting is a major part of our life - from minor inconveniences to anticipation to events filled with stress. In 1975 my father suddenly had his job eliminated at RCA. Dad never complained and went out and found some temporary jobs and finally a new career. At that time I bought him a plaque which now hangs in my bedroom. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31. Dad had learned and demonstrated the reality of that verse - a lesson I wish his son had learned a little better. Waiting can bring us stress and weariness (I admit it often does for me) or it can give us the opportunity to experience the strength and peace which only the Lord can provide. The choice is really ours.