Time flies when you spend it with friends

Waiting on Jesus is never something to dread. When He asks you to wait on Him, He isn’t asking you to do it alone.

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

Something I’ve noticed about being in community? When I love the people I’m hanging out with, I never have enough time to spend with them. We can spend hours together, and it feels like a few minutes.

So that became a strategy for me when I found myself in the midst of long, interminable waits. I’d connect with friends and do life together. You do realize that life doesn’t have to stop while you’re waiting, right?

Sure, if you’re in a place where vigilance is needed and all your focus needs to be on one area, that’s different. My family recently had a span of time at a local hospital, and my focus needed to be there. So while I was waiting, I didn’t have capacity to do anything else but be present.

Sometimes waiting is like that.

But other times, waiting is a long process that will drag on for days, months, maybe even years. And there’s no point in obsessively waiting for the phone to ring or watching for that email to arrive. You have to move on with your life. You have to allow yourself to focus on something else. And when you reach that point, and you have time to spend again, spend it with someone who loves you. You’ll be shocked at how quickly the time goes.

And while, of course, it’s important that you spend your time with friends, may I encourage you to first spend time with Jesus? Get your Bible out. Read. Journal. Pray. Be intentional in how you spend your time with Him, and you will be amazed at how your perspective on waiting changes.

Waiting on Jesus is never something to dread. When He asks you to wait on Him, He isn’t asking you to do it alone. You may be waiting on Him, but you can also wait with Him.

Questions for Reflection

• Where do you think we got the idea that waiting must be drudgery?

• How is one way you’ve chosen to wait WITH Jesus recently?

• Do you have a community of friends you can lose track of time with?

Weekly Memory Verse