(Psalm 62:5, NLT)
“Let all that I am…wait.” Cringe.
I landed in Zimbabwe one month ago, starry-eyed, excited and slightly naïve. I expected this trip to be much like my first one to Africa: meaningful, life-changing… but after five months living in Asia, I was unprepared for the culture shock that I was about to experience.
Since day one, we’ve encountered quite a bit of “wait”. We met for a group devotional at 8am every morning, planned our day, then often had to wait until later that afternoon to play with elementary-aged kids or share the love of Jesus at a high school assembly. In the evenings, we found ourselves ready for our host to pick us up at the agreed-upon time, often to find out that he probably meant 5:00pm, “African time”. Which usually meant 5:30 or 6:00pm.
In those moments, my teammates joked with me: “Anna, your patience is showing.” Which usually meant that it wasn’t.
But I’m learning that there is beauty in the wait.
An analogy was recently shared with me: every artist has a medium. Some carve wood. Some paint pallets. Some write music scores, and others create with the spoken word.
God uses time.
So, if it feels like His promise is slow in coming, wait.
Wait.
…why do we hate waiting so much?
Maybe because we like control. Maybe because we like to know when things are going to happen. And maybe, if we’re being honest, because our culture values efficiency and productivity a little too much.
Think chrysalis to butterfly. Fresh bread dough, left warm to rise. Nine months in a darkened womb. The slow, painstaking process of the Colorado River carving out the Grand Canyon.
Some of the most beautiful things happen over the course of time.
* * * * *
“…I am going to prepare a place for you. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:2-3, NLT).
He desires to be with us, but He’s waiting until the time is right.
…will we wait for Him?
