Waiting! Don’t you love to wait? My favorite waiting story was as a child and waiting for Christmas morning. We had this great clock – one of those clock radio-type clocks where the time would change each minute with a flap coming over the top changing the number. When it had turned 60 times, the hour flap would turn over. Well, I could hear this clock from my bedroom and I would lay in bed counting the minutes. Now, I’m pretty sure I fell asleep, or at the very least lost count. Seriously, though, I could hardly wait!
In our current day we see waiting as anything but a gift. It is inconvenient, a waste of time and very stressful. It produces a range of behaviors and emotions: pure boredom to excessive fidgeting; frustration to anger; despair to what my mother used to call “the screaming meemees.”
Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we worship the god of speed. The need for speed is not exclusive to the younger generation. We want what we want, NOW! Waiting is not okay.
Waiting has gotten a bad rap in my opinion. It is often mistaken for procrastination, being stuck in the mud, indecisiveness, complacence, and not caring. Mostly, we have a negative view of waiting. So, I decided to see if I could find a different perspective on this. I zeroed in on Isaiah’s words: “… those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength…”
I looked up the word “wait” in the dictionary. The most traditional definition is to “stay in place in expectation of …… It means we have to stay put until our goal or destination happens. (Christmas morning, green light, be happy)
The definition, however, that really spoke to me, and thus produced this different perspective, is: “to attend as a servant.” The origin of this word dates back to the 12th century. It comes from the anlgo-french word “waitier”, meaning “to watch.” I take this as to pay attention to someone’s needs. Waitress/waiter – to attend as a servant.
What I like about this definition is that it is an action. Instead of “staying put” it is “attending to.” John Ortberg in his book If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat says that what we wait for is not more important than what happens while we wait. Imagine that! The journey is more important than the destination!
The other thing I like about this definition is that it is the complete opposite of procrastination or being stuck or not caring. Instead, it means to show up, pay attention and act!
Jesus knew how to wait. His whole life was spent waiting for his place on the cross. He did not waste any time in this wait. If he was not serving others he was teaching others how to serve others. And in serving he showed us how to serve God.
Can you see how this brings a whole new meaning to Isaiah’s words: “…those who wait for the Lord shall have renewed strength…?” With our new definition to attend as a servant, we might paraphrase this scripture: “those who serve God shall have renewed strength.” The cool thing about serving God is that we get stronger.
In Matthew 14: 23a, we get another clue about how to serve God: “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” Jesus has just put in a hard-day’s work. He has walked miles, taught and preached, and fed 5000. No doubt, he was physically tired. But what he craved most was time alone with his Father. So, he put his disciples on a boat and sent them across the lake. He dismissed the crowds, and when the last of them was gone, he climbed to the top of the mountain. And, as evening descended, he prayed.
What I love about this scripture is that it is so reciprocal. Jesus is spending his wait in relationship with his Father. He is praying. He is present for God. And in return, he gets sustenance so he can go out and do the same thing tomorrow. I believe that every minute we spend with God in prayer or worship or devotion or study is an act of service to God. In return for serving God we get sustenance. And when we consider both Isaiah and Matthew, we begin to understand that when we serve God, we get stronger.
What does this mean to you? I think there are 2 things:
- First, every act of service to others is attending to God as a servant. Jesus said: do this to the least of these, and you have done it to me.
- Second, every act of deepening your relationship with God is attending to God as a servant. It is honoring God with our presence.
I challenge each of you to not waste any of your waiting time. Instead, use this time in service.
What would happen if we viewed waiting as a time of servanthood? A time where we attend as a servant to God? Attend to our relationship with God? Where we serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
- What would happen if you spent Christmas Eve in worship of the coming Savior? Or, attended a prayer vigil for quiet time with God?
- What would happen if you spent the 30 seconds before the light changes to green, praying for safe travel for the driver in front or behind you?
- What would happen if while waiting in the check-out line you engaged in peek-a-boo with the fussy baby behind you?
- What would happen if in the 5 or 10 seconds it takes to get on-line, you thank God for the abundance in your life?
- What would happen if while you’re waiting to be happy you developed new habits of prayer and devotion?
- What would happen if while we’re waiting for the church to grow, we attended to some spiritual discipline?
What would happen if we attend as a servant at every moment of waiting? What would happen if we draw in, nurture, savor and rest in our relationship with God? Just imagine what would happen?
Here is a very easy, simple tool that you can use to serve while waiting. It is called a breath prayer. The very simplest form of this prayer is just two words. One word spoken as you breath in and one word as you exhale. This prayer can be done as quickly as your normal breathing. You don’t need to breathe deeply. You just breathe normally. The word you use as you breathe in is your favorite word for God. Mine is usually Abba. What is your word? Capture it and breathe it in. Every time you breathe in, say to yourself this word for God. You will use this word every time.
The second word, the one used when you exhale, is more flexible. It is one word that comes to mind when you look at someone else. It could be “peace” or “love” or “help” or “strength” or “joy.” Now, when you look at another person (a fellow driver, the cashier at Starbucks, your child, your spouse, your boss, etc), what is one thing you would like for this person? One thing you want them to know or feel? It will be the first word that comes to your mind. One word.
In the moment, each time you breathe in, say to yourself your word for God. And each time you breathe out say to yourself your word for your chosen person. You may do this as many times as you like or are able.
In this simple act, you are attending to your neighbor as a servant. And you have honored God at the same time. How marvelous! I encourage you to make this breath prayer a practice everywhere you go, with everyone you encounter along the way.
Jesus served God in all ways. On the cross, he surrendered completely – the ultimate act of service. And the cross was not the end! We are still on the journey! May we each use this long wait serving our God and serving others.