The Journey Toward Waiting WellSample

Have you ever seen something online and thought about making it yourself? Maybe you would like to acquire a skill, such as painting with watercolors? Instead of taking a class or buying a book, you purchase some supplies and give it a whirl. Often, on our own, the results are less than optimal.

My most epic fail was a no-sew basket. It looked simple enough, but the finished product ended up as stable as a Slinky, with any point of pressure giving way to cascading sides. Onlookers could see my coiled ball of material was never going to hold together. To make it work, I needed to consult someone with insight and experience.

Learning to wait well is like acquiring other skills. On our own, we can give it our best shot, but our efforts often lead to disappointment. Too often, we wallow in discouragement to the detriment of our faith. Or we forego God’s timing altogether, charting our own course forward. These paths are about as effective as a basket that won’t hold together.

In Psalm 13, we find David waiting. For him, the journey is taking too long. Within the first two verses, we learn he feels utterly forgotten, and the emotion is not new. Doing all he can, the enemy is still prevailing against him. David wants to know how long God plans on allowing this trampling and if He even cares.

Most of us can admit to succumbing to the kind of day that begins badly and quickly goes south, where it stays for about two weeks. Maybe two months. David’s questions grant us permission to make the hard inquiries. In the opening verses, we find this reality: Even David felt abandoned by God at times. Sometimes waiting requires long stretches of time that seem like God is not speaking.

David pens words that capture his desperate dilemma and how he works through it. Then he gives them to the music director and teaches them to the choir. It’s as if he knows the commonality of his experience and passes his notes back to help us navigate the waiting successfully.

What heartfelt questions do you have? How many “How long’s” are wreaking havoc in your life? Bear your aching soul before your God. Write them out in a journal. You have permission.

It’s exactly the right place to start on your journey toward waiting well.