WAIT?

What does WAIT mean? Why did I choose that title and a Bible verse for this blog? Firstly, it is an acronym that stands for With Actions and In Truth as inspired by 1 John 3:18, “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” My hope, my prayer and perhaps my mission for this blog is that my life will be filled with more actions for Christ in my daily living and in my actions towards others. There is also another side to WAIT, as I have noticed, that signifies the waiting time or holding pattern God places us in which can serve to prepare us for the next part of our journey if we allow ourselves to develop during the waiting. If we allow ourselves to listen to the still speaking God, we can learn and discover what God is speaking to us.

 WAIT . . . waiting . . . a curse and a blessing in one. Perhaps it is because I am teaching Macbeth right now that I can appreciate this paradox. Waiting can be exciting if you are getting ready to go on vacation. Waiting can also make you weary if you are awaiting test results for a health issue. At moments in my life, I’ve been in holding patterns or stuck on the tarmac of my life awaiting my next destination. Depending upon the time, I treasured the waiting because it meant exciting changes in my life. Other moments I have given into the negative pull waiting can have on my life—enamored by watching the band of luggage circle endlessly around in baggage claim. It is my hope that through writing, I can perform with action and in truth God’s will for my life. Though this blog has been in existence for a few years, it is now time to ignite the engines and begin to take off by actively publishing.

We all experience those breaks in our day that disrupt the monotony like waiting in a long grocery store line where you have the choice to mindlessly read the covers of magazines you would never buy, which I tend to do. Then there are longer moments we are forced into when you have the choice to do something more. I’m there now. Waiting.

Or, am I choosing not to act?

My pastor beautifully reminded me in our children’s sermon this past Sunday that it is okay to make mistakes—a message for both the children she was addressing and for the adults listening in the congregation. I love that she was able to speak to both audiences in her message to remind us that mistakes are okay. I often don’t think they are for me even though I tell my children and my students every day that mistakes are part of life. I tell them, the true test of your character is how will you react after you make a mistake? I tell them, what changes will you make to show what you have learned from prior mistakes?

My fear of making mistakes and in showing them to others has paralyzed me from acting on the fullness of God’s will for my life. Despite my fears of making mistakes and of not being perfect I am choosing to proceed rolling down the runway to fly to my next destination. With your help and guidance from God, I am buckled in with my tray table in an upright and locked position. At this time, I will turn off all cell phones of negativity for the duration of the flight and all portable electronics such as laptops, MP3 players, etcetera which drain time from our true purpose will be silenced until God informs me that we have completed our ascent. Though there are six exits aboard this plane: two at the front, two over the wings, and two at the rear. Please do not let them distract you from our journey together. Come here, spend time aboard, and WAIT with energy to see where we will travel. In a moment, we will be turning off the cabin lights to see the full glory of God. Flight attendants will now do a final check of the aircraft before take-off.

~sl