The Waiting Game

Bleary eyed, we got off the coach after the nine hour journey from Berlin to Amsterdam. It was 5am and the only place we wanted to be? Bed. By the time we made it to the centre of the city, after trying to understand the ticket machine (and realising we don’t speak a word of Dutch), it was 6am. We went in search of breakfast. We realised that nowhere in Amsterdam is open for breakfast before 7am, so decided to explore the city. With no wifi, mobile data or any idea where we were going, we somehow found ourselves in Amsterdam’s infamous ‘Red Light District’. Not having been there during working hours yet, I don’t know if it gets any less creepy, but the experience of walking down the street when it is completely deserted; saw a couple of men who I think were taking cocaine, it was haunting. Now I am used to sex shops, I thought nothing could shock me, but seeing a giant penis smiling at me, wearing a stethoscope and a Bob Marley hat was a definite surprise! Not to mention a shop dedicated to “condom art” and a surprising number of phallic salt and pepper pots. We were very glad to turn the corner and find it was finally time for breakfast, before realising we still had eight hours before we could check into our hostel. It was going to be a long day. We all have to wait for something. Maybe you are waiting right now; for somebody to pick up the phone from your phone company after being on hold for two hours, for Dominos to deliver your “Meatalicious” or for the new series of Doctor Who. Sometimes waiting can be painful; waiting to get the “all clear”, that guy to finally ask you out or for someone to give you a job interview after sending out two thousand applications. You can not escape from waiting, however painful, however frustrating it is, some things you just have to wait.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “waiting” as:

waiting
noun

1. the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or event.
   “years of waiting”

2. the action or occupation of working as a waiter or waitress.
   “waiting staff”

When we wait we are forced to stay where we are. Waiting reminds us that not matter how much we long for what might be, we are living in the present. Waiting forces us to stop. How we respond to this, however, matters. We have a choice when we are forced to wait, we can continue to focus on what might be, or turn our attention to the present and what is happening in the midst of the wait.

Recently, I visited the Heineken Brewery. One of the many exciting things to do there involves pulling your own pint, learning the “correct” art of drinking beer and actually getting to drink some beer. But my favourite part was the “Be the Beer Ride”. This was a similation which took you through the brewing process from the perspective of the beer itself, which showed us exactly how they take the beer from ingredients to the shops. The thing that struck me in this, is that once they have added the secret ingredient, “Heineken A Yeast”, you let the beer ferment (wait) for 28 days. During this time the sugars in the beer are changed and become alcohol.

Sometimes waiting changes us. It might change our opinion of something, or change our perspective on a situation. Sometimes we realise that some things aren’t worth the wait, other times we realise they really are. The Bible says that when we wait God raises our strength (Isaiah 40:31). Waiting may suck, but it can also transform us. Jesus said:

Here Jesus promises that he is with us now, and he will continue to be with us when our wait is up. So what if we decided to shift our focus? What if we choose to let our waiting shape what we are longing for, rather than letting what we are longing for destroy the wait? What if we recognised that God is with us today, so of course he will be with us when we’re done waiting? I don’t know what you’re waiting for, I don’t know when you’ll get it, or if you’ll get what you wanted at all. But if you are, why not try and embrace standing still. Enjoy the stop and focus on where you are right now, and let that define what you are waiting for.