“And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And be at peace with God”

It feels like we we could mark this year we are in as the “Time of Waiting”.  We are waiting for a vaccine.  We are waiting to see what the next move will be made to “open up” or “clamp down”.  We are waiting for the next economic numbers to understand where things are going financially.  We are waiting on our Government’s actions.  We are waiting to see what our employers will decide for when we will go back to working together, or not.  We are waiting to see who will win the elections and how soon we will know.  Yes, we are in the “Time of Waiting” and waiting is not what anyone likes to do.  I am awed by the number of people and the hours they are waiting to vote.  I am amazed at the patience and creativity of business owners who are changing and modifying in order to  survive.  I am inspired by the parents who are homeschooling and working while waiting for the schools to open.  I admire those who are waiting while not being able to do what they want so that they don’t put others in harm’s way.  I am in deep respect for those on the front lines who are waiting for a time when they can have a day off or the vacation that they so need to take.  The “Time of Waiting” can take on many angles.  But, what we all know and should be learning, is that in the “Time of  Waiting” we can learn and develop the virtue of patience.  That is, if we are willing to wait and wait in the right way.

I wonder now if the lesson we are to be learning is not “what” we are to wait on or not, but “how” we are to wait?  When we are used to never waiting (and wow have we grown accustomed to that), then in the “Time of Waiting” our minds and spirits can go to bad places.  Impatience, irritation, frustration, depression, anger, rebellion, etc. are all outcomes of not waiting in the right way.  We are given words from Peter on how we are to wait.  They are wise words.  They are not easy words to live by, but we know that already.  What we must work on is how to wait as God wants us to wait and apply that to our lives and create our own positive, “Time of  Waiting”.

Reference:  2 Peter 3:14  (New Living Translation)