Doing Nothing Can Be Doing Something- Waiting with Intention

For this reason, biding our time is not passive; it's prudent. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQKa_TCBjEOMvb5sqbk94XQ Email: [email protected] #faithmusic music; #faithjourney; #listeningwithpurpose When Doing Nothing Is Actually Doing Something How to Wait Well I don’t like waiting- whether it’s in the grocery line or in pursuit of the deeper things in life that my heart wants most. We’re so conditioned to believe we’re the masters of our own destiny that waiting feels passive, even weak. Winners act; losers procrastinate. Waiting is hard. So much so that I sometimes prefer spinning my wheels and accomplishing nothing to standing still and doing nothing. We are taught to keep moving. How, then, do we walk with a God who encourages discernment- who whispers, “Don’t worry, be patient, listen, have faith”? There is wisdom in waiting because God promises to transform us, if we allow Him to shape our priorities and guide our choices, even when it’s difficult, even when it’s painful. Jesus was a living example of this. In the hours before His crucifixion, He was so anguished by the suffering ahead that Scripture says He sweated drops of blood. Yet, He submitted to His Father, praying, "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22) Jesus trusted His Father with His life. Scripture calls us to do likewise, to pray, listen, and follow. Waiting may seem counterproductive, even weak at times, but it isn’t a choice between patience and action. It’s about practicing how to wait well. St. Ignatius offers this wisdom about how to wait with purpose: “We should pray as if everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on us.” Henri Nouwen, a 20th-century priest and theologian, adds another layer of understanding: “Patience means to live actively in the present and wait there…trusting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination, fantasy or prediction.” Nouwen reminds us that what we want is not always what's best for us. If we are patient, we often discover God’s plan is even better. For this reason, waiting is not passive- it’s prudent. Here are a few ways to wait actively and with purpose: * Open Proverbs for a nugget of ancient wisdom that clicks- just open the Book! * Revisit the Ten Commandments- seeing them not as prohibitions or sources of shame but as divine guidance for a better life. * Live Jesus’s Greatest Commandment: “Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind…and to love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10). Today, let’s remember that God is with us, no matter what we face or how long the waiting lasts. In the inevitable post-holiday letdown, as we enter the bleakest months of the year, let’s remember that the days are already growing longer. To quote the song pairing: “Happy New Year, every day, it’s okay.” And so it is- okay. Until next time, stay safe, be brave and keep walking in the light. Happy New Year The streets are quiet the Christmas lights are coming down all is quiet but it’s okay He’s still around In the beginning first, there was light then He breathed a breath then, there was life Happy New Year every day, it’s okay Happy New Year every day, it’s okay Broken dreams and the pain that comes from living life misguided schemes that never seem to work out right Come with me down to the table where there is life and everyone is always able Happy New Year every day, it’s okay Happy New Year every day, it’s okay The streets are quiet the Christmas lights are coming down all is quiet but it’s okay He’s still around…