Hurry Up and Wait!

In the traditional Evangelical thought on prayer, you can receive one of three answers from God: Yes, no, or wait.

We all love the answer “yes,” because that means God agrees with us.

We may not be so keen on the answer, “no,” but we can, sort of, live with the disappointment.  Hey, it’s a straight answer right?

But that “wait.” I didn’t use to like it at all.

I mean, what does “wait,” really say? Has God not made up His mind yet? Is He still pondering, like a parent, if we’ve been good enough to get the “yes,” we’re looking for? And if I jump up and down a few more times with enthusiasm and wave my hand higher, will He decide “yes?”

I don’t think so.

As I thought about the irritation of “wait,” it occurred to me some of the problem may be my American impatience. Really, “wait,” often seems like I’m just marking time. Click to tweet.

And that’s when I got caught. “Marking time” took me back to when I played the clarinet in the UCLA Marching Band.

To “mark time,” in band parlance means to stop moving forward, you march in place. You don’t usually do it for long, because it’s a temporary spot. Soon enough the drum major will whistle  and the drummers will either wind down, or they’ll pick up their cadence, three short whistles will blow and you’ll step off once more. But a lot of times “mark time,” is a prelude to three long whistles and silence.

“Parade rest,” the drum major will bark, and our instruments will come down from our mouths into a relaxed spot in our arms. We’ve given a  reprieve and a chance to catch our breath, look around, think about where we’ve been and contemplate where we’re going. It can be a long wait, or a short one.

And isn’t that what God does with His “wait” answer? “Waiting on the Lord,” doesn’t mean He’s not up to something. Click to Tweet

It means things aren’t in place yet. The answer may be a no, but it’s not clear to move forward, yet, or perhaps you’re not in the right place–spiritually, physically, financially, socially, musically–for what comes next. The next phase can be just as exciting as what has come, we just need to wait a minute for things to fall into place.

I now think God’s answer, “wait,”  is an exciting one. I use that time to review where I’ve been, what has happened, and where I want to go. I take deep breaths and savor what’s around me, resting in the current situation. I chat (in the band through the corner of my mouth) with my compatriots and reflect on what we’ve done together. Sometimes I gather information, other times I admire the landscape. Because soon enough,  three sharp whistles are going to zing through the air, and I want to be ready, set, and  prepared to go toward what God has called me to do–or not do.

So, hurry up . . . and rejoice in the answer: “wait.”