The Waiting Place

Anyone who has waited for a baby to come knows how very excruciating it can be. As the time draws near, consternation grows. Is today the day? With every twinge or set of contractions, there is anticipation for what is to follow. But, for most births, there are many periods of false anticipation that end in no baby…yet.

We are all waiting for something, whether we want to be or not. Ben and I were just talking the other day about how our kids are always asking about what is next. The last question before they go to bed is usually, “What are we doing tomorrow?” They long to wait for, anticipate, look forward to something. It’s our human desire to live in expectation, and kids are very good at expressing it.

In his book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Dr. Seuss talks about “The Waiting Place,” cleverly revealing to children just how much of our lives are actually spent waiting,

“Waiting for a train to go

Or a bus to come, or a plane to go

Or the mail to come, or the rain to go

Or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

Or waiting around for a Yes or No

Or waiting for their hair to grow

Everyone is just waiting.” 

Waiting is a big part of life. Everyone waits. And, it can be wasted or redeemed, or some of both most likely. If all our attention is focused on getting the things we are waiting for, we can miss out on the moments we are given in our waiting. And, if it doesn’t come in the way we want, we will only meet more disappointment. Our many waitings can be redeemed when we see them as part of our journey and keep our hope fixed on Jesus. As we wait, our hearts yearn more acutely for the One who alone will make it worth the wait.

In Psalm 39, David expresses how fleeting our lives are on this earth. How we are but a moment in light of eternity. After musing on this, David asks and answers his own question, “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7, ESV). The conclusion he comes to is that only in the Lord will he find the satisfaction and fulfillment of what he is waiting and hoping for in this life.

The problem with waiting for anything that is not eternal is that after we have received it, we are left with more longing and begin looking for the next thing to wait for. We read in Ecclesiastes about the meaningless of life and its pursuits apart from God. While many find this a depressing book, I think it is actually quite hopeful. We are often left disappointed in our hopes and waitings of this life, unsatisfied with what promised to bring fulfillment. The God-shaped hole in our hearts is not just a nice excuse for our unhappiness. It is there and can only be filled by the Creator of our hearts. 

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” – Romans 8:22-25, ESV

So whether we are waiting for a baby to be born or the weekend to come or the water to boil, we all have choices to make in our waiting. It’s good to eagerly wait for and anticipate the good gifts of this earthly life. God has surely given them to us to enjoy (1 Timothy 4:4). But, we must be careful not to place our hope in them. When we wait with patience for eternal things we will not be disappointed. When we value God above all else, hoping and waiting for the fulfillment of truly knowing him, there we will experience lasting satisfaction.