Have you noticed fully this time of transition between
seasons? The mornings and evenings are
cool but the days are still hot. The
trees, until recently, seem to have been waiting…waiting…
Henri Nouwen writes in his book Discernment, “Whenever there is a lack of clarity or ambiguous
circumstances, it is time to wait” (p150).
This reminds me of something my spiritual director often says: when we
pray for an answer or for what we think we want, God will, in some way or another,
answer either yes, no, or not now. In my
impatience and frustration, I want the answer to come to me as clearly and
quickly as shaking a Magic 8 Ball™.
Unfortunately, it usually does not happen that way. Is that indeed unfortunate? Sure, it doesn’t meet our felt need for an
immediate answer. But, God is ever
drawing us closer in relationship to Him, and through this our deepest needs
are met.
Nouwen gives us more about times of waiting: “Active waiting
is being open to the promise yet to be fulfilled. Patient waiting is staying fully in the
present moment. Expectant waiting is
trusting that this long process will bear fruit” (p. 153). Active waiting involves looking for God in
what is happening right before you. It
is not passively waiting for the time to go by until the desired outcome is
reached. Waiting with patience means to
be fully present to what is happening now.
Being present to what is happening now requires attention to yourself
and those around you, and much can be learned from this. The tendency is to see now as being a waste
of time, leading us to pass over it with little thought. Expectant waiting means trusting that God
will deliver on God’s promises, that God will meet your deepest needs.
Discerning God’s movement and presence, and letting the
waiting bring you into a closer connection with God, is the way of waiting for
followers of Christ. Where in your life
are you waiting? How might you engage
fully with the present, and open yourself to God’s presence? Are you both talking and listening in
prayer? How can you nurture yourself
during this time?
Make room for waiting in whatever season you are
experiencing now. “For everything there
is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, ASV).
