In the Waiting Room

 

I’ve spent a lot of time in waiting rooms lately. Hospital waiting rooms. Doctor’s office waiting rooms. It’s one of the realities when your husband has cancer. Sitting. Waiting.

Most of us are not very good at waiting, are we? I would go so far as to say that none of us likes to wait. For anything. We live in a culture of instant everything. We want what we want, and we want it right now. It’s the American way, after all. We have instant access to weather information, news, any question we might have about anything. Instant coffee, instant oatmeal, instant anything. We live in a microwave society.

Even so, we are often called on to wait.

Some waiting is pleasant. A child waiting for Christmas or birthday is impatient, yet excited about what’s coming. We wait with anticipation for flowers to bloom, for the first robin who signals spring, for a baby to be born. We’re excited as we wait for family to arrive for a visit.

But some waiting is not so pleasant. Waiting for the phone call from your doctor about a diagnosis. The aging parents who wait in their loneliness for the phone call or visit from family members, but it never comes. Sitting in the medical office waiting for the procedure and wondering what the outcome will be. Waiting for answers. Waiting to learn next steps. Just waiting.

Waiting can affect us in many different ways.

But for those who belong to Christ Jesus, there is one waiting that leaves us with a sense of great anticipation. Because we know what is coming. We know something much better lies ahead. We know that one day - although we don’t know exactly when - we will be with the Lord Jesus Christ, in His presence, seeing Him face to face for all eternity. But right now we are waiting.

What are we to be doing while we are waiting? The Bible gives us some clear instructions. 

Consider these instructions:

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14 NKJV)

“….Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NASB)

This is not an extensive list, of course, but you get the idea.

For now, we wait. But there is coming a day…….And what a day that will be!

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see;

When I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace.

When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land

What a day, glorious day that will be.

- Jim Hill