Dr. Seuss talked about the 'waiting places' in our lives.
Those places where we find ourselves waiting. He wrote that we wait for for the train to come and we wait for the bus to go. Sometimes, he said we even 'wait for our hair to grow.'
In this Season of waiting for the expected birth of a transformative King of peace and justice and unconditional love, I wonder how you do at 'waiting.?'
I've heard that if we live to be 70 we will spend a solid 3 years of our lives waiting. Just waiting. Waiting for the cashier to check out our groceries. Waiting at Best Cuts to get my hair cut. Waiting for the phone call from the local Howard Hanna fundraiser--to call and tell me 'you've won the gift basket in the Chinese Auction!'
I'm not particularly gifted at waiting. If Time Magazine's article/cover story this week is any indication--many of the folks that we surround ourselves with are not particularly gifted at waiting either.
The article in Time talks about the anxiety that is so pervasive in our lives.
Attitude is key for dealing with waiting and the anxiety that results.
I've waited for test results. I've waited for the news that I've hoped for.
What sorts of things do you wait for?
Your Cancer to be in remission?
For The Hornets to win the State championship?
Do you wait for justice for the devastating news of the murder in Mentor-on-the Lake?
Do you wait for a relationship to happen--a marriage proposal, a divorce decree?
What sorts of things can we do while we wait? In these 4 weeks of Advent I'm trying to set aside 5 minutes each day to simply 'be' in the presence of God and wait. I set my cell phone alarm to remind me to set aside 5 minutes.
5 minutes isn't much--but, it's a start.
Each Monday, more than 30 families gather and 'wait' for our Free Food Distribution at First Presbyterian Church. They are patient at waiting.
Patiently waiting for food--something no man, woman, or child should have to wait for, really! sometimes people line up and wait for as long as 2 hours.
Patienly waiting is one of my favorite oxymorons. You know, like 'jumbo shrimp?' Patiently waiting--the words don't seem to jive.
What are the waiting places of your lives?
