Waiting: Patiently or Impatiently?

WAITING – A GOOD THING

How are you at waiting? I must confess that I’m not always good at it. These past few days I’ve been sick with a sinus infection and a debilitating headache. That meant I couldn’t spend much time reading or looking at a screen without my eyes watering. I couldn’t be very active because of my tired achy body. So I had to wait and rest, but I wasn’t very thankful or patient at first.

 

Waiting turned out to be a good thing for me.

 

I had been so busy before I got sick that I didn’t take as much time to pause and relax. The sickness forced me to stop. On the worst day I would lean back in the recliner loveseat, close my eyes and just listen. It’s surprising all the sounds you can hear when you are still and quiet. The next day I felt a little better and was able to get outside for a little while. I love how the sky looks in the picture below taken around twilight as we were having a thunderstorm.

 

Waiting for the storm to pass

 

Another benefit from the forced rest was that I spent more time in prayer for myself and for others. When my head was not throbbing so much, I listened to music with my headphones to help me relax. I also listened to a couple of sermons on the book of Ruth that were inspiring. Today I am feeling much better though not completely over it yet.

 

As I was thinking about what to write for the post today I found a poem in my journal about waiting. On a group call back in December, my daughter, Jamie, challenged us to write something that would personify waiting. I thought about how hard it can be to wait sometimes but also realized that some things are worth waiting for. It was written in haiku form:

 

Waiting

Waiting, you are huge
A giant filling the room
I am overwhelmed

 

Why are things so hard
Will you ever shrink in size
Please give me some hope

 

Be patient, my child
Some things are worth waiting for
One day you will know
~gsw~

 

Whatever it is you are waiting for, whether it is hard or easy, remember that it’s better to be patient rather than to worry and fret. God will be with us in the waiting and his timing will be just right.

 

Psalm 27:14  (CSB)

Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.

This is one of the songs I listened to and it was very encouraging to me. I pray it blesses you, too.

 

I’m linking up with: #TrekkingThru, #TeaAndWord, #Grace&Truth, #WeeklyBibleJournaling, #TuneInThursday

20 thoughts on “Waiting: Patiently or Impatiently?

  1. Dear Gayl,
    Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful Haiku with us! I love the way that God kept these words for just the right time. You have captured the feeling of waiting here so well:

    A giant filling the room
    I am overwhelmed

    Oh but what hope our Lord gives, as He lets us know that it is so worth it to have patience. These words are just what I needed to hear today too. Blessings, love and hugs to you dear friend! xoxo

    1. Bettie, thank you for reminding me of that scripture this morning. I’m glad these words ministered to you today, sweet sister. Blessings, love and hugs to you, too. xoxo

  2. I so agree about the challenges of waiting and yet what we learn in forced seasons of waiting, Gayl. The Lord knows it is a discipline we need. After all, we are waiting His return!! I also loved the poem so very much!! Have a blessed day and be well!💕

    1. Pam, thanks for stopping by today! It is a discipline we need but sometimes hard to face. 🙂 But it is also good for us. I’m glad you loved the poem. Thank you! You have a blessed day, too!

  3. Oh Gayl,

    Was down with a bad sinus & flu last month and I needed to slow down. It sucked. I was in and out of fever and cold so I feel you. Glad you’re better.

    Waiting has been the nuance of my life so far. I’ve sang all the songs for courage and strength like Take Courage by Kristene DiMarco and Before I Arrive by Amy Renee Miller and even written some of my own.

    Waiting has been a stretch on my heart.

    But with each of those songs and the ones I sang to God, the response has been consistent. God always says, “I Am here.”

    And that makes all the difference.

    1. Dear Koki,
      I’m sorry you were sick, too. Those sinus infections are awful. I’ll have to look up those songs you mentioned. Oh, have you shared some of your own anywhere? I’d love to hear some! 🙂

      Waiting can sometimes be so hard, esp. when what you are waiting for seems almost impossible. But with God all things are possible and so I continue to trust. Yes, it does make all the difference to know God is here all the time.
      Blessings and hugs! xo

  4. Gayl, I am so sorry you have been sick. Praying for you to feel better soon. I love the poem you wrote. I am doing a series on waiting on my blog right now. I am going to share this one for sure.

    1. Thank you so much for your prayers, Maree! I’m glad you love the poem and I need to come read up on your series on waiting. Blessings to you! xo

  5. I’m waiting for a time to rest starting tomorrow! I am definitely looking forward to that. 🙂 Hope that you are feeling much better now, Gayl. My daughter was here for the weekend and we had a wonderful time. But now she has strep throat and is resting at her house. Waiting and resting to get better is often difficult but worth it.

    1. Hope you do get some time to rest, Lisa. 🙂 I am feeling better but my voice isn’t back to normal yet. I love that you and your daughter had that time together. I always love it when I can spend time with my daughters. So sorry she’s got strep now. I pray she will get better soon. Yes, I’m always tempted to do too much when I start feeling better and then I often feel worse. It’s so much better to take that time to rest. Blessings to you!

    1. Yes, Calleen, sometimes those forced times are the only times we will stop. I need to find a balance of rest and work and not feel guilty for resting. Blessings to you! Thanks for stopping by.

    1. Thanks so much for your prayers, Mary. I’m feeling much better today. Each day I seem to get stronger but I have to pace myself so I don’t overdo it. Blessings and love to you! xo

    1. I guess maybe it depends on what we are waiting for? Sometimes we can wait patiently and others it seems like we get so impatient. I pray that God will help us to trust him and learn patience as we go along. Blessings to you! Thanks for visiting. 🙂

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