Waiting (and waiting... and waiting...)

Isaiah 30:18

¹⁸ Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

1 Corinthians 1:8-9

⁸He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Who enjoys a nice, long wait? You're starving, it's dinner time, and you've gone to your favorite restaurant. You approach the host and she tells you, "It'll be about an hour wait." Your alarm didn't go off, you're already 15 minutes behind schedule, you pull onto the interstate and... traffic jam! Nobody enjoys waiting (well, I guess I shouldn't generalize; there are weirdos out there, but you get my drift). Lord knows, I have done my fair share!

I just started working again after being unemployed since December. Because of my not earning wages, I had to endure without internet as well. (Oh, the horror!) This blog is coming to you now because that long wait is over! Praise the Lord!

Waiting isn't always a bad thing, though. Waiting through a tough time while trusting in God can have a rewarding outcome. Romans 5 says, "we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."Amen!

I've never had much patience. Often if I know I can't finish a task as quickly as in one setting, I won't start it. I get irritated easily in traffic (but my new commute is teaching me a few things!). However, patience is indeed a virtue. Not throw around cliches willy-nilly, but many cliches become cliches because they are true. Furthermore, as Christians, we are called to be patient. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12)

Sometimes, the waiting makes things even better. Food almost always tastes better when you're starving. A pool is more refreshing when you've spent long hours in the sweltering heat. And there is no greater feeling of accomplishment than when you've worked long and hard on something and you succeed. I just want to encourage those who are having a hard time with being patient to stick it out. The end result is worth it! God isn't in the habit of letting His children down.