“Waiting is our destiny as creatures who cannot by themselves bring about what they hope for. We wait in the darkness for a flame we cannot light; we wait in fear for a happy ending we cannot write. We wait for a not yet that feels like a not ever. Waiting is the hardest work of hope.” Lewis Smedes
The other day a young mom asked if we could meet for coffee. I had no idea what she wanted to talk about so when she said, “I want to ask what you’ve learned about waiting.” I’m sure my expression must have conveyed the incredulity I felt. I wanted to say, “What??! Waiting is one of my WORST things!
Couldn’t you ask about Gilmore Girls trivia or how to hone spy skills so you’re ready in case the CIA calls? Those are my good things!
But no, it was waiting she was struggling with. At least I could empathize because I’ve done a lot of it.
I remember the time I got trapped in my OBGYN’s exam room, sitting in my lovely paper gown on a table for an hour “And NO PHONE!” to call and remind someone I was there. Tiptoeing paper-garbed to the front desk did not seem to be a reasonable choice, and I thought as soon as I got dressed the Dr. would show up.
Even if not stuck in a Dr.’s office, most of us are waiting for something. Waiting for a job or a baby or a husband or healing or whatever.
Turns out a lot of us can relate to not being good “wait-ers”. The Today Show talked about a recent study that said: Continue reading
