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Waiting

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalms 27:14 NIV

Waiting is hard. When you are waiting to take part in an activity you enjoy or are waiting to hear very important news or are waiting for something to arrive, each minute you wait can feel like eternity. In this instant access age, I think it's even harder. We want it now and if we can't get it now we want updates.  

If you've ever ordered from Amazon, you know they are experts in this. They send notifications to update you as to where your package is on the delivery route. Once your package arrives, they take a picture and send it to you. That way no matter where you are you get to enjoy knowing your waiting is nearly over. 

To me there is no agony like the pain of waiting for a pizza delivery. You're hungry and looking forward to delicious pizza. Time seems to slow. Seconds tick away like minutes and minutes like hours. Many of the pizza chains have added their own update system. Their tacking system updates you as your pizza makes it's way from prep to baking to out the door for delivery. 

I think these systems help to calm our waiting anxiety because they fill the void of information. The updates calm our minds and squash any anxiety that secretly creeps up. God has done the same thing. Rather than simply wait for the Lord, He has given us something to do. Jesus says, "Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people" (Mark 1:17 NIV).

When anxiety tries to fill the void left with waiting, be strong and take heart on the mission Jesus called us into. While you are waiting, find opportunities to share God's love. Find someone to serve or share the good news of Jesus Christ with. Dive into the word and help yourself in your discipleship process. Invest in a relationship with a friend or lean on the wisdom of the members of your small group. While you are waiting, go fishing. 

Be blessed and be a blessing,
Matt
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