The Waiting is the Hardest Part
Sometimes, waiting is the hardest part. This is a classic season of waiting as children of all ages wait for Christmas and Santa and presents. As Christians in the Season of Advent, we are called to wait for the coming of our Savior. This is historical and ever-current at the same time. Our calling is to wait well, both looking forward to the future while accepting the present as the gift that it is.
Waiting Not So Well
Nick: Sometimes I am impatient with waiting. It is particularly difficult for me when the waiting seems arbitrary, and I don’t have any way to pass the time. I find myself “checking my watch” even when I’m not wearing one. For me, waiting is the hardest part when I don’t see any reason why it is necessary.
Jen: I can also be impatient with waiting. I am a busy-hands kind of person, so when I find myself waiting I will ping from one thing to the next to pass the time. I can’t sit still and I need to find things to focus on until my waiting is done.
Waiting Well
Nick: I can also be patient with waiting at times, doing so as well as is possible for me. When there is no surprise in my expectations, I can be very patient with waiting. For example, standing in line at a grocery or department store is like this for me. I knew what was coming and the waiting is no surprise. I end up feeling acquiescent and just going with the flow in the circumstances.
Jen: When I am waiting well I am calm and deliberate. It’s time when I can see the destination but I can also see that the path there is a little bit longer. It is a time of deep breaths and thoughtful moments when I realize that sometimes life doesn’t hand you things in the exact moment you request them.
Our Calling to Wait Well
When we are not waiting well, we’re just wishing the time away. When we are young, this is an easy trap to fall into. Challenges like raising young kids are an ever-present temptation to wish the time away or place expectations on the next thing that is to come. But talk to any older couple about their situation and you’ll see the longer-term effect becomes obvious. So many hours were spent wishing time away, and now, later in life, they wonder where the time has gone and end up wishing they hadn’t taken it for granted.
All of us are called to wait well, accepting the place where we are in life as it comes, and appreciating the moment. In your own relationships, how can you embrace the acceptance of waiting well this Advent season?
