Waiting

by Amy Scott

What are you waiting for? Is it an important phone call, a job change, a loved one to get well, an upcoming vacation, a positive pregnancy test, a marriage proposal, a break—what is it?

We recently found ourselves in a season of intense waiting. My husband became ill quite suddenly, and over the course of 18 months we waited. We waited for a liver to become available for transplant. Once the transplant occurred, we waited to see if his kidneys would start to function. Once it was determined that they would not

function, we waited for him to get listed for a kidney transplant. We then waited for a kidney to become available. Once the kidney transplant occurred, we waited for the organ to begin functioning. I could go on and on. It was an exhausting journey.

The largest part of any of our existence involves waiting. There is an obsession in creating a false sense of control by doing all “the things” to bring about a desired outcome. It is easy to become fixated on what we seem to be lacking and hyper-focused on the longing for the next thing that we miss the beauty of the journey, and thus we can become weakened by waiting. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that we are strengthened as we wait for the Lord, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

This verse caused me to reflect on my faith. How do I wait upon the Lord? Am I complacent in my waiting? Do I look for the ways that He is active and alive and seek opportunities to share about Him with those around me? Or do I feel offended by day-to-day life and flippantly proclaim that all will be better when Jesus returns? Truthfully, I am guilty of both. Waiting on the Lord may mean spending time in prayer, seeking God, and standing firm in what He has declared. It also means sharing with Him about the longings of our heart and trusting Him to sculpt them and fulfill them according to His plan. Henri Nowen states, “We can learn to be obedient people who do not always try to go back to the action but recognize the fulfillment of our deepest humanity in passion, in waiting. If we can do this, I am convinced that we will come in touch with the power and the glory of God and our own new life. Our service to others will include our helping them see the glory breaking through—not only where they are active but also where they are being acted upon. And so, the spirituality of waiting is not simply our waiting for God. It is also participating in God’s own waiting for us and in that way coming to share in the deepest love, which is God’s love.”

My challenge to myself and for you for the coming year is to cultivate a life where we live in a way that seeking the Lord—waiting for Him—is our go-to for waiting for life circumstances to change. And in our waiting, I hope we will connect more deeply with our Heavenly Father on our journey and that those around us will be drawn to Him. Amen.

About The Author Amy Scott is the Executive Director of Bethany Christian Services of Greater Chattanooga. She is an adoptee who passionately serves the adoption community for over ten years. Amy resides in North Georgia with her husband and three daughters.