There’s an intersection in my city I drive through nearly every day. When I approach the intersection in the early morning on my way to the office, the traffic light changes as I approach. Later in the day though, I can sit at the intersection for 2-3 minutes waiting for the traffic light to turn green. I guess the city traffic department figures people who drive through the intersection after the morning commute aren’t as much in a hurry and they turn off the tripping sensors.
I was thinking the other day, wouldn’t it be nice if we could program life the way the city programs traffic lights? Imagine — whenever we need a quick answer or we’re in the midst of a difficult situation and want quick resolve, we could preprogram settings, get our own “green light” . . . without any waiting.
Anne Graham Lotz says this about waiting:
Waiting for anything can be so hard. I don’t like to wait for my computer to boot up, for the light to turn green, for the oven to preheat, or for a scheduled call to come in. Waiting can seem like such a waste of time, especially when I have so much to do. It’s so hard to sit still. But without a doubt, waiting on the Lord is the most difficult of all. Waiting for His promise to be fulfilled, for my prayer to be answered, for a door to open … His delays can seem so tedious.
My patience was tried recently in just the dailiness of life – the line in the post office, on hold with the pharmacy when trying to order a prescription and even my daughter’s soccer practice ran late so I had to wait for her. These are all very common instances of waiting, but what about the extraordinary times of waiting?
A friend of mine text me this week as she struggled with discouragement – in two years, she’s had to deal with two lung rejections and is possibly now facing a third chronic lung failure. She’s currently waiting to meet with her transplant pulmologist to confirm next steps.
In a “Living in the Light” weekend broadcast, Anne reminds listeners to focus on who God is and, in faith, know that He has everything in His control. Anne goes on to explain,
“. . . while trusting Him, we’re going to rejoice. God is sovereign and He’s going to give us the strength. And all that we need to do to go through these final hours, one day at a time for His glory. So wait—patiently wait—for Jesus!”
I’ve heard it said “Waiting is no waste in God’s economy.” Here’s the thing though, I’m not the one waiting for answers to life or death questions and yet, in both extremes, from the mundane to the monumental, He calls us to trust and wait.
And so, I first encourage my friend by sharing a verse Anne frequently refers to regarding waiting . . .
Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles. – Isaiah 40:31
. . . and then I pray for her – often these days and particularly while waiting at traffic lights.
