Why Do We Wait?

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope." Psalm 130:5

Why do we wait? Every once in a while we have one of those periods in life where it seems like we are simply waiting. We are maybe in between ministries or in between jobs. Maybe we're at a crossroads, trying to decide what to do in the next chapter of our life. Quite often, at least for me, those times of waiting are also filled with learning to be patient.

Yet one of the things that I've noticed about periods of waiting, is that I always find myself closer to God in those times. It makes sense when I think about it, but I suspect I just never thought about it. Those times when we are not really doing anything, because we are unsure what to do- what are we actually doing? Perhaps we're spending more time in our Bible than normal, or more time in prayer. And I find that is true. When I have nothing to do, I spend more of my time focused on God and talking to him than when I'm busy as a bee, moving from task to task. Spring, to me, is the season of waiting. I am itching to plant things in the garden, but I know not to do so, because there is still a chance a frost will take those plants. So I wait. But while I wait, I am starting plants inside, I am reading up on a new growing technique, and I am preparing my soil for rain.

Yesterday I spent some time turning the dirt in one of my beds, and it was so wonderful to see that rich soil, to see all the earthworms making it lush and nutritious for the plants to come. And I got to spend some time with God while I did that. I thanked him several times for giving me the desire to garden, because I'm truly enjoying it. I thanked him for the desire to grow edibles for my family, and to share with others, and I asked him to bless the dirt and I was caring for, and I asked him for a bountiful harvest from my small space. Because this is the time of waiting, I wasn't busy planting seeds and pulling weeds, thinking of the next task, I was focused on the one task- I was focused on the dirt, and preparing it for the seeds and the rains to come.

That is why we wait with God. When we are in a season of waiting, we are focused, we spend more time with him, preparing ourselves for the season to come. We are the dirt in this case, and God is the tender, lovingly and gently preparing us to receive what is to come next.

I guess waiting isn't so bad after all.