Some people are good at waiting. I have never claimed to be among them.
I have many gifts. Patience is something I’m glad many consider a virtue, but not something others use to describe me.
Waiting
At the start of 2018 my wife and I moved into our new home. One day later we expected to receive the delivery of a refrigerator. We purchased a new fridge because our old fridge would not fit in the space in our new home.
Anything that could go wrong with this experience did. The first fridge arrived on schedule but was not in appropriate condition. A second fridge came and a third without any such appliance ever being placed into our kitchen. Finally, 31 days after the initial delivery a fourth fridge arrived and actually made its way into our kitchen where I intend for it to remain for many years.
A Refrigerator
Life without a refrigerator may be an excellent example of what many label a first world problem. It, however, was a very frustrating experience for me that revealed how much I benefit from an appliance I take for granted.
Other than when shopping for a new refrigerator I have never taken any time to study the capabilities of any refrigerator I have owned nor to appreciate all I have observed any such appliance do. I simply expect that it keeps my food chilled at the desired temperature as long as it is supplied with electricity.
Going without a refrigerator in my home for over a month cost me a great deal. The most obvious increase in expense came in the form of food prepared by others. While I did benefit from an opportunity to explore new to me area restaurants, I did so at the expense of overspending my food budget. In additional to spending far more money on food during those 31 days than planned, I also spent much more time seeking food, ordering food, waiting on food, eating food, and paying for my meals.
So What?
The longer I waited the less I believed that my wait would soon end. When my original delivery was scheduled, I felt certain the national chain that I had purchased from would fulfill my order and the delivery service they contracted would ably place the new appliance in my home. With each failed delivery my confidence in a positive outcome lessened.
I learned much from my waiting, including
- waiting is both an art and a science (the right blend requires understanding the context)
- waiting is both active and passive (had I been completely passive I’m sure I would still be waiting!)
- waiting offers opportunities for creativity and resourcefulness (that absent the wait would likely not emerge)
Every day I encounter people who are waiting. Some measure their wait in hours or days and others in months or years.
If I’m honest with myself I can see that I’m always waiting too.
When it comes to the life of faith, I wonder what it is you are waiting for and how the three elements I observed about waiting fit into your attempt to wait well and to wait wisely. I’m especially interested in how waiting has helped spur your creativity and resourcefulness.