It is good to wait quietly

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

–Lamentations 3:25-26

By Chaplain Chet Rains, PHH Rocky Mount, NC

I discovered these verses some time ago, and have relied upon their instruction on many occasions.  They have served me well and keep me focused in the midst of that which I cannot control.  Therein is the difficulty for me.  I am a “fixer” by nature and when problems arise I begin looking for a solutions.  When it happens and I find the solution, I feel I have conquered.  I feel I have overcome and I have met the enemy head-on.  It is ego and bravado and can be traced back eons to my caveman brethren. Problem encountered; problem solved.

Invariably, problems arise over which I have no control.  No control means no input.  No input means I’m at the mercy of someone else’s thoughts and actions, which means they may not think about things I would think about or do things the way I would do them.  I am then forced to react instead of taking a proactive approach. 

Today I find myself in such a position.  Due to COVID-19, I am forced to react to the decisions of others.  At work, I’m limited in the visits I can now make.  Home visits are at the desire of the patient and/or family member in charge.  Facility visits have been suspended until otherwise deemed appropriate.  Outside of work, things that were once a part of my normal routine and not given a second thought, have been stopped completely or have become limited in use or availability.  Of note, to me personally, is the gym.  It is my go-to place after work.  This is the place to unwind.  The place to sweat and lift and shed the concerns of the day.  I’m selfish when it comes to gym time.  Now I can’t even do that and it is impacting my mood.

This is where the above-mentioned verses hit home.  I am in the midst of a situation over which I have no control and cannot fix, so I have to wait.  Not just wait but I must wait quietly.  No grousing or complaining about the gym being closed or my favorite restaurants closing or grocery stores being out of certain items or long lines or waiting for solutions to present themselves.  It is difficult to wait quietly while all this is going on around me.  I read these verses again this morning and God reminded me, as He has so many times in my life, “Do you not trust me in this?  Haven’t I taken care of you during all the other times in your life when you had no control?  If I didn’t allow the shoes of my children in their wilderness wandering to wear out after 40 years, will I not take care of this?  Was I not with the Hebrew boys in the furnace so that no hair was singed, and no smell of smoke was in their clothes?  I will take care of you, and I will certainly take care of what is going on around you.  Just wait quietly for my salvation.” 

Prayer:  Lord teach me to wait quietly for you.  In this place of waiting, help me to remember all that you have done for me through Jesus Christ. Help me to remember that your grace is sufficient for salvation and sufficient to sustain me each and every day. Amen.