Waiting

About a month ago, my friend J found a lump in her breast.  The needle biopsy was inconclusive, so she went ahead and had the lump removed last week.  And now, she's waiting.  Waiting for the pathology report to tell her if she has cancer.  Waiting to have the information she needs so she can decide her next step.  Waiting.  Waiting.  Waiting...
 
I think we're all waiting for something, aren't we?  The thing for which we wait may not be as potentially devastating as my friend's test results may be, but we're all waiting for...something, maybe even several somethings.  Right now I'm waiting for Bubby to fall asleep.  I'm waiting for Hubby to return from work.  I'm waiting for an answer to prayer.  I'm waiting for my children to start cleaning up after themselves without being told.  And I, too, am waiting for J's test results.  Waiting.  Always waiting.  It is so hard to wait.

I think the hardest part about waiting is that there's nothing else we can do.  Once J has her test results, she can take action, or at least formulate a plan, or not, because she may no longer need a plan, if the results are what we're hoping for, but in this time of waiting, all she can do is...wait.  We are such action oriented creatures, we humans.  It's as if we believe that as long as we're doing something, anything, we are in control; we can control outcomes.  And yet, experience shows that most of the time, the something, anything that we do does nothing more than to increase our anxiety about whatever it is for which we wait.

Have you heard "While I'm Waiting," by John Waller?  This, I believe, is how we should wait: hopefully, patiently, peacefully, faithfully, even though waiting is difficult and often painful, walking through our times of waiting in obedience and in confidence, knowing that God is present in every moment, God is in control, and that God will see us through to the other side.  And if we must do something, anything, we should serve God and worship God as we wait.

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait


I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race Even while I wait


I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5