Waiting rooms…yes, waiting rooms. Waiting rooms are where you’re held until the person you’ve requested a service from is ready to render that service to you. They are everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE…the doctor’s office, the dentist office, the pharmacy, the barber shop, the hair salon, the car repair shop. The list could go on but I’ll stop here. If you’re like me, you think the waiting room is the most annoying place to be. I don’t want to wait. I want to be serviced NOW!
A recent trip to the eye doctor changed my view of waiting rooms. You see, I suffer from allergies and during allergy season my eyes get so irritated and swollen that it’s sometimes difficult for me to see. As would any normal person, I made an appointment to see the doctor. I needed some eyes drops to help soothe my symptoms. I arrive at the appointment and excitedly sign-in. I know for sure, my eyes are so gross that the doctor is going to see me soon. As I smile at the optical technician in hopes she’d see how bad my eyes were and send me straight to the doctor, I hear her say those dreaded words, “Have a seat and someone will be with you in a moment.” “Darn it!” I thought. “I want to be seen NOW.” 3 minutes go by. 5 minutes go by. 10 minutes go by. Now, I’m impatiently tapping my foot because I want to be seen NOW. After about 13 minutes, I hear the technician say, “give me one more minute, I have a few more things to prep before I call you back.”
A light bulb came on in my head. “Aha”, I thought. “The waiting room isn’t so bad after all. I’m not just sitting here while the technician is twiddling her thumbs. She’s actually prepping the room for me.” And then the flood light came on. This time, the Holy Spirit was speaking to me. I heard Him say that there is great value in waiting rooms. I heard Him tell me to embrace my time in the waiting room. He told me that necessary preparations are taking place so that the doctor can render the service I requested. I asked the Holy Spirit, “Is this what you do when I’ve spent hours, days, even months in prayer and still haven’t received an answer. Do you send me to the waiting room?” The Holy Spirit answered back, “yes, Kim. This is exactly what I do.” He then began to explain that He doesn’t really want to send me to the waiting room but that He HAS to. It isn’t a case of Him not being ready to service me. He’s God, He doesn’t have to prepare...He's always ready and available. Rather, He has to prepare me because I’m not ready to receive His service. While I’m waiting in the waiting room, He’s preparing my heart, my mind, and my spirit to receive that which He has for me.
I hear my name being called. “Thanks Holy Spirit”, I whisper as I walk back to see the doctor. I get it now. Waiting rooms aren’t so bad after all. I no longer see them as pointless and annoying. I now see them as a very necessary place to be...there's work to be done there!
I want to encourage you to begin to change your view of waiting rooms. If you’re currently in the waiting room of life, embrace it. I know how difficult it is to wait on an answer to your prayer. I know, I know...you want an answer NOW! Let me tell you that God sees you and He hears your requests. Chillax in the waiting room and allow Him to do the necessary prep work on your heart, mind and spirit so that HE can render His perfect service to you. My friend, I encourage you to embrace the waiting room so you can receive fully what He wants to give you.
Scripture of the Day: “I waited for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, and out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." Psalm 40:1-2 (NIV)
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