An Unbearable Wait

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

This December, I will be finished with my undergraduate career. I will turn in my last final, pack up my apartment into my little rusty car, and say far too many bittersweet goodbyes. Then I'll drive my little rusty car to the east side of the state and...

I'll wait. 

I'll wait to hear back from potential employers in hopes of an interview. I'll wait to see if I got into any of the graduate programs that I applied for. I'll wait for the next chapter of my life to begin, and I can guarantee that I won't be waiting patiently.

We've all experienced those bizarre transitionary periods that seem pointless and unproductive. Sometimes we're lucky enough to be waiting for some tangible, distant hope that we can see and touch. Other times, however, we're just waiting for a sign—any sign—of clarity about what our next move should be. Regardless, we tend to assume that all of this waiting time is just wasted time. We pace back and forth with impatience as the clock seems to tick incessantly on the wall.   

Photo credit: Tristan Colangelo.

The waiting is taxing, and we are so preoccupied with our future that we neglect our present. Our impatience is a broken record: “When X happens, I will finally be Y.” When I am admitted into that graduate program, I will be intelligent. When I get that job promotion, I will be successful at last. When I meet the perfect man or woman, I will finally be happy. This dichotomous mindset blinds us to how God is transforming us right now, in this very moment.  

In the first book of Samuel, God instructs Samuel to go to Bethlehem and seek out a man named Jesse. One of Jesse's sons was to be the new king of Israel, and Samuel was to find him and anoint him. God cautions Samuel not to be biased towards the stronger and more charismatic of Jesse's sons (1 Samuel 16:7).

God's focus is on the potential of our hearts instead of how we outwardly appear. Perhaps Jesse's bigger and stronger sons seemed to be better candidates for the role of king, but God doesn't simply choose us for tasks—God grows us.  

Jesse presented seven of his sons before Samuel, but Samuel said that God had not chosen any of them, asking if Jesse had any more sons.

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him. We will not sit down until he arrives.”

1 Samuel 16:11

     

At this point, Jesse and his seven other sons knew what was happening. David, the smallest and youngest, was to be the new king of Israel. After all, it was cultural custom to remain standing until royalty arrived.

It probably took some time for David to be located out in the fields, and still some time more for him to go to Samuel and his family. We can safely assume that Jesse and his sons were waiting around for a decent amount of time, but why is this so important? God knew that they needed time for their hearts to be prepared. Undoubtedly, the brothers were shocked, possibly hurt, and probably very jealous. By the time David arrived, their hearts would be humbled and receptive to the will of God.  

In the time-crunch grind of our daily lives, being receptive to God is exceedingly difficult. We have been conditioned to cringe from pausing and to grow restless while waiting. We just want to plunge into the next task at hand; we want to cannonball straight to grad school, or start at that new job, or just hurry up and be the new king of Israel already.

David was approximately ten years old when God chose him, and David did not become Israel's king until he was around thirty. Twenty years was a long time to wait, certainly, but it also was a long time to learn, to mature, and to grow.

Photo credit: annamae22

Hopefully, I won't have to wait around two decades to begin this new and exciting stage of my life, but even so, I will strive to leave the timing up to God so I can be shaped accordingly.

On the surface, the waiting is tedious and uneventful.

Meanwhile, there are subtle shifts in the crevices of our hearts: Seeds blossom. Roots take hold.The wider they spread, the taller we grow.

[Abby Hocking is a senior at Calvin College, where she studies psychology and writing. She is employed at Pine Rest Christian Mental Services and plans to become a therapist. Abby is a proud literature nerd, running addict, and puppy enthusiast. She thanks God daily for her wonderful family, her loving friends, and for Twenty One Pilots.]