While I'm Waiting

I was in the Department of Licensing office the other day because I needed new license plates for my truck.  I don’t think you can go into a DoL or DMV or any other government office without having to pull up a seat and wait a while.  While I was dutifully waiting my turn, I began looking around the room at about forty others who were also waiting.  

One lady was sitting sort of by herself, deeply engrossed in a book.   A couple of young men were sitting toward the corner, talking while passing the time.  One particularly apprehensive teenager was using the time to pore over the Driver’s manual. Still another person had their cell phone out either texting or playing games.   Probably half of the people were simply staring into space, waiting for their number to be called.  

Sitting next to me was an older gentlemen of oriental descent.  Dressed casually, but not ratty.  His shoulders were hunched over and I could see that he was studying something.  In his hand as a pencil and a half-sheet of paper.  He was frantically scribbling what appeared to be calculus equations.  The paper had been folded many times, and now he had only a small square left to fill up.  

It occurred to me that life is full of waiting.  You wait to pay for your groceries.  You wait at a red light.  You wait for your spouse after an event.  You wait at the doctor’s office.  You wait to get into the movie theater.  Some even wait to have fuel pumped into their cars.  We all have to wait.  And wait a lot.  The question is: what’s your waiting style?

When something is taking longer than expected, how do you spend the few extra minutes?  Do you read a book?  Do you stare into space?  Do you start to compare yourself to the other people in the room?  We each have our own style.

This Saturday at 8:50 & 11:20 AM, we explore the idea of waiting.  As a church, what are we waiting for?  And how might we handle our time while we're waiting?


“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.  So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”  ~~2 Peter 3:13,14