I read an article the other day that broke down the average time Americans spend their life waiting.
Here were a few of the logistics:
- 32 minutes waiting for a doctor
- 28 minute in security lines
- 13 hours on hold for customer service
- 38 hours waiting in traffic each year (50 hours for big cities AKA Atlanta)
The list went on, but ultimately came to the final number of about 37 billion hours each year waiting in lines somewhere. Now I really don’t know how scientific this article was, but it got me thinking that we do spend a lot of our time in the waiting. Not only physically in the waiting, but also in “life waiting”.
At this time in my life and those around me there are a lot of life changes occuring. Engagement, new jobs, moving to new cities, marriage, starting a family, buying houses, renting, the list goes on. In all honesty I spend most of my life in the waiting of the next big milestone in my life, and even more honestly I worry that I’m falling behind because I haven’t hit a lot of the milestones that the world tells you must be hit before the age of 25. I’ve had lots of conversations with people around me worried that if they don’t reach a certain milestone in the next year or two, that they won’t be happy- their life won’t be as full. I’m convicted by this statement. I believe it’s something, that if we were all truly honest with one another, struggle with.
2 Corinthians 4:18 says “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Upon hearing this I think about Jesus. He spent his entire life living up to a single purpose- laying down his life for us. I’m sure he struggled with normal daily life, as we all do. But the difference is His eyes were set on the eternal purpose, not the next milestone in His life. he had so many amazing milestones, but his eyes were transfixed on the Father and His purpose.
Currently, I am finding comfort in this from Him. I struggle daily with missing out on the big things in life while I’m gone- the next milestones. My mailbox is flooded with engagement announcements. Someone has taken over my classroom and place on a wonderful team. Another person is taking my place for my small group girls. I will miss my sisters’ graduation. But I rest in the fact that my eyes are transfixed on Him, He has decided to send me out on this crazy adventure for His purpose. Will I probably miss out on things at home during this time? Yes probably. But how wonderful will the fulfillment of my Jesus be to me!
I don’t think life is meant to be lived “in the waiting” for the next milestone. I think it’s meant to be lived with our eyes transfixed on Him, using each and every moment for His glory. Each day is a gift, not one to worry about the future or stress about the past. He already has a perfect plan for our lives- far greater than we can imagine. There’s no use in living in the waiting, instead we live in the moment of this crazy, beautiful, messy life- catching glimpses of the eternal if we slow down enough to see them.
