I’ve learned a lot about waiting and watching as a writer. So, I wanted to share this excerpt from my book, Words That Change Everything, with you.
Waiting rooms can bring out the worst in me. Long periods of waiting produce all kinds of emotional red flags—from impatience and worry to full-blown panic attacks.
Reminders of past pain, traumas, and personal losses make our current trouble seem intolerable. The dark clouds roll in, and we ignore the light of spiritual truth.
I’ve been assigned to many waiting rooms, especially this past decade. And I don’t really like to wait; I’m very impatient for good news to arrive. But waiting does not have to be hopeless. We can find hope and resist worry when we know that God is listening to our cries for help.
The psalmist speaks of “waiting” in Psalm 40, and I particularly resonate with this line from The Message Bible.
I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip. (Ps. 40:1–2 The Message)
Jumping from one waiting room to the next—crisis after crisis—and trying to help others in their time of need, well-meaning supporters encouraged me to find relief from my stress, anxiety, and exhaustion.
When I asked for advice how to obtain their suggested rest, some offered me quick fixes and temporary solutions. But nothing provided the peace that I desperately needed until I leaned on God’s Word for help.
What are you waiting for today?
Karen Jordan. Words that Change Everything. Copyright © 2016 by Karen Jordan. Used by permission of Leafwood Publishers, an imprint of Abilene Christian University Press.
WordServe Water Cooler 
I have heard many of these quick-fix solutions myself from those who want to empathize. Not always helpful. I find rest in His word, in silence, and in His creation–which was brought into being by His spoken word.
I have to be careful myself not to offer a quick fix to someone desperate for relief in a waiting room. I try to remember what has helped me. And often that means just my presence or my prayers. Thanks so much for your insights.
Waiting is one of the hardest areas of life and in the writing journey. But you are correct, leaning on God’s Word does put our mind at rest.
We’ve all been there, right? So it doesn’t help to resist the journey. Thankfully, we can learn lessons from waiting that might encourage others on their journey. Thanks, Anita.