The Waiting Game

Meagan's baby is due this week.  She's been having contractions for a couple of days, with no real progress yet, so she is still waiting.  We know the baby will come when the time is right, but waiting is hard anyway.

We live in a world, or perhaps just a country, of instant gratification.  When we want something, we want it right now, and we often get whatever we want.  After all, WalMart has almost anything money can buy!  Unfortunately, some things just can't be bought, or hurried along.  So, we must wait for the best things life has to offer.

  • Hungry children wait for that delicious-smelling dinner to be pulled from the oven so they can eat.
  • Young teens wait until they are finally old enough (and responsible enough) to drive.
  • Hard-working students wait for years until they can complete their education and start a career.
  • Young adults dream about finding their perfect mates.  (Those who are unwilling to wait sometimes wish they had.)
  • Cancer patients wait for chemo and radiation treatments to do their job so good health can be restored.
  • Families wait for their loved ones, serving in the military, to return home after dangerous deployment far away.
  • Couples battling infertility wait years for a precious child to join their families naturally or through adoption.

The list could go on and on.  But waiting isn't necessarily a bad thing.  The act of waiting often produces patience and maturity.  As an old English proverb states, "Good things come to those who wait."

Some of my favorite Bible verses talk about waiting, too.  Lamentations 3:25 says,  "The LORD is good to those who WAIT for Him, to the person who seeks Him."  Isaiah 40:31 says, "Those who WAIT for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."

Waiting is often hard.  Without God by my side, waiting would become unbearable.  With Him, I become strong.  So, with Him, I'll wait.  




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