Waiting

Teach me how to wait

Book Recommendation: Waiting Isn’t a Waste by Mark Vroegop. I read this book over a year ago, but ever since, I have often thought about how much of our life involves waiting—for things big and small. Right now, our family’s primary waiting exercise is for the arrival of a new baby, hence the italicized verse in the middle of the poem. Thematically I would probably not include those specific lines in the poem, but I’m likely to need the reminder to trust God’s timing as the baby’s due date approaches, so I added it in for myself.

I tend to think of times of waiting as useless, but there is so much opportunity to cast our cares, anxieties, and fears on the Lord in these times, in a way we can’t when the waiting ends.

I paired the waiting theme with Joshua 21:45, which stood out to me in my Bible reading last week: “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.”

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So much life is spent in waiting—
So, Lord, teach me how to wait!
Not to waste the passing hours
Or to wish them all away.

Waiting for the dawn of morning,
Longing for the night to end—
Teach me, Lord, to trust in darkness—
Here your mercies will extend.

Waiting for an answered prayer,
Searching out which way to go—
Teach me, Lord, to trust your wisdom—
All my ways you surely know.

Waiting for the pains of labour,
Wishing it was all behind—
Teach me, Lord, to trust your timing—
For this child is yours, not mine.

Waiting for the rest you’ve promised,
Looking for that endless day—
Teach me, Lord, to trust your goodness—
You will do just as you say.

So much life is spent in waiting—
But your word has never failed!
All the promises you’ve spoken
Will in your time be fulfilled.