The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

Proverbs 8:34-36 (NRSV)

Happy is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the LORD;
but those who miss me injure themselves;
all who hate me love death.”

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The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part

"The Waiting" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from Hard Promises

In a society that runs off of drive-thru restaurants, one-stop shopping, and the internet-ready personal communication device (rhymes with y-phone or crackberry or mandroid); we are a society that is not prone to waiting. I offer it up as a simple fact, but the proverb offers a take on waiting that the 21st century world (particularly the West) is not comfortable with. Tom said it best, the waiting is the hardest part.

The proverb teaches us that those who wait on stuff, the internet, the dishwasher, and so on wait on things, just plain stuff; but "happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors."

Patience is a virtue, but who wants virtue in the age of instant gratification. Waiting on the Lord can seem like a gruelling process. The Jews have been waiting for 5,000 years for the savior. Christians have been waiting almost 2,000 years for the savior's return. Whether you wait for the first of second coming, the wait has been a long time. But everyday, there are times--moments at most--when the Spirit of God breaks into our world and God's peace and grace can be seen in creation.

These moments are as fleeting as a notecard or email that says "I Care." It is the smile on the face of a child. It is the peace on the face of someone who has compassion. It is the fact that "angels unaware" surround us. Still, waiting is not easy, but Tom has advice for that too, "You take it on faith, you take it to the heart."