The Value of WaitingSample

Active Waiting

The Hebrew word quavah is used here as “wait.” The word has a root that means “bind together” or “gather.” It has the sense of collecting oneself. This waiting is not apathy or even inactivity but part of the journey of proper action.

It is like a running back who takes small steps, or sometimes none at all, as he waits for a hole to open up in the line towards the touchdown zone. He is waiting but not inactive. Sometimes he will pump his feet, running in place. He is gathering himself, collecting his energy, and doing so with a vision—with a purpose.

Our society tends to hate waiting. When we want something, we want it “now.” But of course, getting it now only makes us want something else. Perhaps we need a little more waiting to help us to remind that happiness is not in our circumstances but in our choices. If we spent more time shuffling our feet until we found the right “hole” to run through, perhaps we would gain a lot more ground towards our destination.

Waiting help us to be deliberate rather than reactive. If we bind the truths of our circumstances with the truth of God’s Kingdom, we can make choices to take maximum advantage of the opportunities we encounter.

Today, may you find the purpose in your waiting.