Dear Explorer,
Read John 11:53-57
So, here again, we see Jesus waiting on God's perfect timing. We've talked about timing of God's will on Day 147, if you want to review it. Sometimes He calls us to wait. I hate to wait! But many years ago, God taught me a different meaning to the word wait. It has really helped me to wait a little more patiently.
My third year of college, I couldn't find a secretarial job, so I worked at Ken's Pizza Place. There I learned the fine art of waiting tables. I would greet the people as they came in, I would care about them and their special needs. I would explain anything on the menu that they had questions about. I would take their order to the cook and when it was ready, I would deliver it. In the meantime, I was filling their drinks, making their salads and making sure that they were taken care of until their order arrived. Once their order arrived, I checked back with them to make sure they were happy, took care of their needs and waved goodbye when they left.
Now, is there a difference in that kind of “waiting” and “waiting for something or someone”? I believe the key to successful waiting is found by combining the two.
While I was “waiting” for a husband – there were things that I needed to be doing to prepare myself to be a good wife. I already knew how to cook and care for a home, but I needed to learn to handle my finances, deal with my many moods, learn to handle responsibility, get my education, determine God's direction for ministry, etc., etc., etc.
While I was “waiting” for God to provide us with children (7 years), there were things that I needed to be busy about. I needed to spend time with other people's children to learn the art of child rearing, I needed to read some books, I needed to make sure I was in the center of God's will for me, I needed to change my diet to a healthy one, I needed to spend time in prayer and Bible study to make sure my heart was tuned to the One who would guide my parenting, etc., etc., etc.
Next time you find yourself “waiting” on something or someone, I hope that you will look around and see if there's some “waiting” that you need to do.
Do you think Jesus and his disciples were sitting in Ephraim grumbling about having to wait – or do you think Jesus used this time to prepare Himself and His disciples for the upcoming ordeal?