I have a friend who had been looking to buy a new (to him) bike for months. I was close enough to the situation to hear most of the ups and downs. I saw many listings of potential bikes he’d come across on Craigslist and elsewhere. Finally after about six months of searching he found a bike that met his qualifications and quickly purchased it on eBay. Then began an entirely new wait.
It’s interesting that life is often built with blocks of waiting. Sometimes there’s enjoyable anticipation in the waiting – like waiting for a wedding day to arrive. Sometimes waiting may involve pain or fear – like waiting to finish life with a loved one diagnosed with terminal cancer.
We often cannot choose the waiting, yet we can choose how we respond during it. We can choose to press into our Father’s arms while we wait. To trust Him that He has something better for us. Or at least a path that is good even if it makes no sense to us and carries some immediate pain.
Observing on the outside, I’d say waiting was ultimately good for my friend. Despite the ups and downs with his bike search, he enjoyed the process. In some ways he even felt a little sad to move on to the next step once he purchased a bike.
On the expected day of arrival, he waited with expectation. He told me the UPS truck had passed his house twice, but not stopped. It was killing him! When the bike finally arrived, he was on his way out the door with his family to attend a Good Friday service. The bike arrived, and he had to leave 30 seconds later. The anticipation continued.
God’s so funny sometimes. That bike could have arrived at any point. To arrive while making a choice to spend time with family and God seems significant. Like a reminder that bikes (or whatever the thing you currently want is) are not of ultimate importance. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a bike (I’m shopping for one myself now). But God and family hold more weight in the scales of life.
There’s also something beautiful about choosing into a continued wait. Especially during a Good Friday service. At one point we waited for three days not knowing if God would ever resolve Jesus’s death and humankind’s redemption. Three hours for a service remembering Jesus’s sacrifice (although shabby in comparison) could certainly serve as a reminder of God’s goodness.
Despite whatever you may be waiting for, remember that God is good. He’s with you in the waiting – perhaps even with a bit of humor. Choose to wait with significance.