In many ways, life is a series of waits. Often, we don’t respond well to waiting because we have become so conditioned to immediacy. Current technology provides rapid access to information, navigation, product viewing, purchasing, and learning with a few swipes or clicks.
Despite our rapid pace, 2020 has been a year of waiting. We’ve waited to see how widespread a novel coronavirus will become. We’ve waited for test results, waited to see if loved ones survive, waited for healing and recovery, waited for quarantines to end, businesses to reopen, for school decisions that prompted personal decisions, and waited to see if jobs continue. Most of all, we are waiting for life to return to a semblance of normal.
Your attitude toward waiting determines how well you cope. Following are thoughts on how to approach waiting:
Admit Lack of Control
One of the greatest challenges of waiting is acknowledging you are not in control of the time frame. Many people struggle with this reality because we work hard to create the illusion of control. Some attempt to speed waiting along but often, when you try to hurry up waiting, you end up with a negative result. Although difficult to do, relinquish control. Accept waiting. Learn from it.
Realize Waiting Serves a Purpose
It has taken a global pandemic to slow our frantic pace, yet many have not realized the purpose waiting serves. Waiting allows us to rest, think beyond our to-do list and upcoming commitments, have unhurried conversations with loved ones, adjust our thought patterns, and focus on long-neglected tasks. In some cases, waiting prevents forging ahead with plans that may prove detrimental. Waiting allows additional time for thought, greater perspective, and re-evaluation. Look for the benefits in waiting and embrace them.
Remember Seasons Change
Recently, about mid-afternoon, the sky darkened, resembling dusk. Thunder rolled in the distance as the wind tossed the trees. When I looked out the windows into our backyard, I saw a shower of golden leaves cascading to the ground. The scene was somewhat surreal as the darkened sky overshadowed the green of trees, highlighting only the golden leaves. Following a heavy downpour, the sky brightened, and the sun returned as if nothing had happened.
Those golden leaves herald the imminent coming of fall, and also, reminded me how quickly life seasons change. The difficulties of a season of waiting can abruptly end, propelling you forward into the next chapter of life. When you feel discouraged because a season of waiting drags on, remember this time will not last forever. This season will change. There is light on the horizon.
Grow While You Wait
Waiting can be paralytic in nature. We assume waiting means frozen, but it is possible to move forward while waiting. Wait, aren’t forward motion and waiting mutually exclusive? No. Growth can occur while waiting. Grow through self-examination and evaluation. Grow by gaining knowledge. Grow spiritually through communion with God. Listen, learn, reflect, and grow. When your season of waiting ends, you will be equipped for forward motion.
The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him. Lamentations 3:25 TLB
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is a writer, blogger, speaker, and freelance editor. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving beyond difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotionals published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House) and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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