Rhonda and I are preparing for a transition in our life. After 14 years in one city and church we are moving back to Canada. There is an endless list of things to prepare and get ready for. That’s practical work that we can see and do something about. However, there is also the emotional and spiritual work of going through a transition or change. For us, it’s some uncertainty about what lies ahead and what life will be like after our years in Basel.
In our case, we’ve had some time to think about and prepare for this move. That’s helpful. But not all transitions come in a timely way. Change can happen quickly and unexpectedly, and the future is suddenly a little more scary.
Maybe you are in a season of change as well. It might be that you are between jobs. It could be the health of a loved one, a move between homes, or a change in your stage of life. It just seems like this is a season of waiting. You aren’t sure what is to come and you might not know what to do with yourself in the meantime.
Max Lucado in one of his books says here’s what you need to know when you are in God’s waiting room: “while you wait, God works. God never twiddles his thumbs. He never stops. He takes no vacations. “Be still and know that I am God” reads the sign on God’s waiting room wall.”
In times like these, we go back to our basic understanding of faith. God is good and he cares about what happens to us. We can trust in him because of who he is. When our anxious spirits get the better of us, we meditate on that verse: “Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) Be still and know that I am. Be still and know. Be still.
The waiting room is a difficult place to be. We do not sit there alone. And we will not be here forever because ‘this too shall pass.’ God is at work.