In a small town diner around 1978, I watched my dad leave a five dollar bill and two ones on the table for the waitress a tip. That was a lot of money back then. A few minutes later, our family was on the way out the door and so was the five dollar bill-mom picked it up.
You see, mom was a YMCA café waitress in her younger days. No matter how tired she was or how long the day had been, she paid attention to her customers. The diner’s waitress was friendly, but not attentive. We only saw her when she took our order and when she brought the check. If she needed something from us, she was present and if not, she disappeared. Mom remarked, “I hope she doesn’t make a career out of waiting on people because she might starve!” Flash forward to 2021 and I think I might have more in common with that waitress than I should.
Did you know the word “wait” is not passive? It does not mean to simply give up or do nothing. The word “wait” is used 85 times throughout the bible and is a call to action. One well-known verse is Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (NKJV).
The verse was intended to encourage the Israelites through the days of bondage and hardship that were to come. The Hebrew word for wait is qavah, which in this context, means to take time or linger in His presence and to go where He is gathering. In times of weariness and confusion I am tempted is to hide or retreat. Instead, I should linger in His presence or give attention to the people in my life that who need it most.
Are you like the diner waitress who disappears when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient to engage with others? Just as the waitress needed to improve her “waiting” skills unless she wanted to be out of a job, we must increase the time we spend or linger with God. We need to spend time with the people who have been provided to support us through uncertainty or hardship. We need to practice being intentionally attentive.
If you are unable to physically be with family or friends due to the pandemic, geographic distance or someone who is exhibiting unhealthy control in your life, you can still actively “wait” and engage others through social media. Use technology (your phone or laptop) to go where supportive people are gathered to provide encouragement and help. Even as you wait for the darkness to pass, God is good and there is hope. You may be tired or weary, but you are called to soar with the eagles.