We Get Tired of Waiting

When was the last time you waited? The last time you were delayed beyond your expectations?

Not long ago, I had an opportunity to watch a collection of people waiting. And waiting. And more waiting. However, even though the observations were not surprising, the personal challenge was very impactful.

It was a large conference and concert. The venue was a large arena. The lines were long. But I have witnessed similar reactions at sporting venues, movie theaters, even school settings.

When I first taught at a higher institution of education, I was a graduate teaching fellow of a well respected Old Testament scholar. Basically, a glorified grader and substitute. They had a rule, if a professor runs late, the class would wait fifteen minutes before they would leave. If it was a scheduled substitute, or fellow professor, they would wait five minutes. For me, they waited 15 seconds … if that. Patience for me wasn’t something I earned … apparently. (I was only late once when I discovered this … I was never late again.)

Back to the observations …
– They look at their watch, phone, anything
– They begin to get antsy, looking around, trying to see if they can get closer to the door (sneaking in front of those closer to the door)
– You see body shifting, pacing in their little space, twitching, looking at their tickets
– They get frustrated, beginning to share their frustration with each other … sometimes to no one and everyone within earshot
– They start to get mad
– Some leave (not so much if they paid to be there, but have you ever walked out of a restaurant because service was slow?)

To be fair, some were docile, calm, and centered. These seem to just irritate the others. And to be fair, this happens in traffic, at the grocery store, at a restaurant.

Some studies show that waiting can bring out the worst in people …

“Studies have shown that waiting in line without a set timeframe builds up anxiety. Basically, unfair, unexplained waits—like, say, traffic—are far less palatable than trying to be patient on your way to Splash Mountain. That’s why we feel like we’re slowly dying while stuck waiting at the department store or at the polls.“

Waiting seems like stolen time … time we will never recover … and it’s irritating. Waiting on the waiter, our kids, co-workers, the light to turn green … stolen time!

Another article, from PsychCentral, list 8 reasons why waiting sometimes seems longer than it really is …
– Unoccupied time seems longer than occupied time
– People want to get started
– Anxiety
– Uncertainty adds to frustration
– When there is no explanation of the delay, people get frustrated
– Unfair waits are longer than explained waits (watching line jumpers gets our goat!)
– The less valuable the service, the shorter we want to wait
– Waiting by ourselves is harder than waiting in in a group

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OKAY … SO WHAT DID I LEARN?

Have I ever tried to think of it from God’s POV (point of view) when He is waiting on us? What emotions does God have? And as I look at my life, I can easily see areas that would try God’s patience (but thankfully He is also a God of grace!!!!!)

I make a promise to God but stall. I see I should be doing X, but don’t. I tell Him I will stop doing Y, but continue.

If I was God, I would’ve given up on me a loooonnnggg time ago. But I am not. And He hasn’t.

He hasn’t given up on me … and He hasn’t given up on you.

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PERSONAL NOTE; Grand kids are coming in September. I can’t wait. But I have to. Till then … enjoy their pics …