The Waiting Room Experience

How do we handle seemingly endless waiting periods like the one we are in now?

I hate waiting rooms, more specifically, the waiting rooms in the dentist’s or doctor’s office where I have no idea what will take place inside there. This current season feels like a huge waiting room where we are sitting and waiting to see what will happen next. The worst thing is, we have no clue what lies behind the closed door!

So what are you doing as you wait? Are you sitting and watching the news every hour, getting more fearful and depressed as you do so? Are you following some kind of daily routine, or letting the days come and go as they please? How is your patience and faith in God getting on as you go through this endless wait?

I have been waiting, just like you. I watched and listened to all the reports and briefings. Then one day I had enough. I decided to change my waiting room experience.

Focus on something bigger

Something bigger? What could be bigger than what is facing the world and bringing governments to their knees? How easy it is to get carried away with our present troubles to the point that imagining there is something greater than these troubles is impossible!

Several years ago, when I was still in university, I faced a challenge that no student would ever want to face – the threat of discontinuation. My grades were borderline failure grades, and I was warned that if I did not pull up my socks, I would not get through the next semester. So I worked harder than ever, and read like crazy, but nothing would stick in my mind. I would try to do all the assignments correctly, and they would be returned full of red marks and, of course, failing grades. I sunk deeper and deeper into a form of despair until one day I confessed to my roommate how badly I was doing. She listened, and then we prayed together. It was then that I realized that I was focusing on the wrong thing – getting the passing grades using my own effort, rather than focusing on God who could help me get through university. That night I prayed and asked for God’s forgiveness for not trusting in Him the way I should have. After that day, I learnt to focus on God and ask for His help to get through the difficult assignments, tough exams, and long, confusing lectures. I made it. I graduated.

My present trouble at the time was my poor grades. They were the biggest thing in my view. Once I changed my focus to the Lord, however, I realized that He was there to help me fight my academic battles. I only needed to look towards Him and trust Him.

Back to the situation at hand. Are you stressed because there is the threat of illness and even death hovering over your head? Are you worried about the future? Focus on God, He is more powerful than we could ever imagine!

Psalm 135:5 “I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.” (NIV)

Make the most of the current season

Has this ever happened to you? You get to the waiting room right on time, and you find a huge crowd waiting to see the same person you want to see. To make matters worse, because you did not anticipate a queue, you have not carried a book to read, and your phone is not charged. You find a seat and wait for your turn to come. Minutes feel like hours at a time like this!

That’s where we all are. We are waiting for the day the doors will be flung open and we will be told that everything is back to normal! There is just one thing though – for now, we have to wait. And that wait can get pretty boring if we have nothing to do in the meantime.

Col 3:23a “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart…” (NIV)

What is that one thing you have been saying for years that you need to do? What is that other thing that you keep saying you don’t have time to do? More importantly, what does God want you to do with yourself during this season?

The temptation to fill up the hours with idle activities is tempting, isn’t it? Initially, I would find myself sitting and watching videos on YouTube, one after the other, instead of doing something constructive. That phase didn’t last long, though, because I soon discovered there was lots to do.

Just this morning, during an online fellowship, someone shared something that got to me. She was asked what God was asking her to do this week, and she answered, “To pray more.” Wow. How many of us, me included, have asked the Lord what He wants us to do tomorrow, this week, and this month? Remember, God knew this season would come, so there must be something that He wants you to do with yourself during this time!

Ask God what He is teaching you

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (NKJV)

 The last thing anyone wants to hear when they are going through a tough time is what they should do, especially if the instructions are totally unrelated to the trial. What many of us need to understand, though, is that God is always speaking, even when we are not listening.

Since 2018 I have been going through something that has had no end in sight – having a child with autism. As you may know, there is no treatment or cure for autism. There are no quick fixes. With therapy and intervention, however, my child will cope better with the world, but it will take time.

Kids grow fast. Not the child with autism, though. Growth in certain areas is slower than others, and more often than not, the child falls behind his or her peers academically. For the parent, therefore, this is a real test of patience and perseverance.

So you can imagine how hard it was for me to listen to what God was saying just after we got the diagnosis. I finally listened, though, and the message was clear. God created my child for a purpose, and He was going to fulfill it, regardless of the challenges. My job was to be his mom, his teacher, and his advocate. God would do the rest.

What is God teaching you? What is He asking you to do? What lessons will you have learnt from this season, lessons that will build you into a better person and a better Christian? Are you ready to learn these lessons and to obey Him?

Nobody stays in the waiting room forever. At some point, we have to move on towards the thing we were waiting for. When that time comes, will you be ready to move on? Will you have learnt everything that the Lord wants you to learn in preparation for the next phase of your life? Will you be able to trust Him to handle what seems to be an uncertain future?

Make your waiting room experience worthwhile.

 

 

Hello, dear friends! I would love to hear how your experience in the waiting room has been! Please share in the comments section below, and kindly share this article with someone who will be encouraged by it. Have a great week ahead!