The Most Useless Place
When my favorite High School teacher read Dr. Seuss’ (1990) “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” on my last day of High School I didn’t get it. Since then, it’s become one of my favorite books to explain the seasons of life common to humanity. There are ups and downs, ups that turn into downs, and downs that require courage to get back up.
One of the downs described by Dr. Seuss (1990) is “The Waiting Place” (p. unknown). He states it’s the “most useless place…. Everyone is just waiting” (1990, p. unknown). There are many times God asks us to wait, but that does not make waiting easy… or fun. It feels very much as Dr. Seuss describes – useless.
Dr. Seuss’ resolution is to escape the waiting and find “bright places where Boom Bands are playing” (1990, p.unknown). While I understand where he’s coming from, I’m not sure I can agree with his philosophy on waiting. If we allow it, waiting can be an opportunity. It can be full of purpose and life-giving rather than soul-sucking.
God will ask us to wait. He expects us sometimes to sit still in one place for a time. Again and again, the Bible demonstrates this (Elijah in I Kings 17, David to build the temple, Jesus to start his ministry, etc.). How we approach this time is critical in determining whether our story ends here or we will find the “bright places” (Seuss, 1990, p. unknown).
Let me clarify that waiting is not the equivalent of doing nothing. It is not apathy. Nor is it a time for self-pity. Waiting has a purpose. Often that purpose is for God to be doing internal work in us.
Waiting is a time to rest and allow God to build up our hearts. Waiting should be done with patient expectation which allows us to maintain hope despite the frustration sitting still often creates. It gives us space and time for prayer and Bible reading (aka God’s building) that draws us back into those essential practices. This is absolutely necessary because when God pulls us out of the waiting place he often expects us to hit the ground running. We must be prepared for this. And the best way to prepare is to wait.
Again, that does not make waiting easy or fun. It is hard to maintain faith when you feel like your prayers are hitting the ceiling. It is hard to keep expecting something when you’ve been praying for healing or salvation for so long. It is hard to be patient when God is silent on the things that matter the most to you. And it is hard to trust when the future feels like a question mark.
This is where we’re presented with a choice. We can lean in, pour out to God those hard things (and all the emotions that come with them), and choose to trade the anxiety for trust that brings peace. OR we can pull away, rely on distractions to ignore our emotions (phone, people, busyness, work, etc.), and stay waiting forever.
Here’s another way of putting it. Have you ever been in line in a drive-through restaurant? You’re hungry. And so is everyone else. You’re in a hurry. So is everyone else. The line is long and you’re having to wait. So, you do what everyone does (right?) and pull out your phone. Check Facebook. Play a game. Send a message. The normal stuff. All of a sudden, a horn honks and you jump. Your head flies up and you realize the cars in front of you have advanced and it’s your turn to order. It was time to move, but you missed it because you were too busy “waiting.”
If, instead, you had taken your wait time and thought about something you’re grateful for, enjoyed the scenery, or even checked in with God about your day you would not have missed the cars moving in front of you. Also, if the research is correct, you would have experienced less anxiety during your waiting. If you had used your waiting time differently you would have been at peace and prepared to move when it was time. This is how God asks us to wait, Friends.
What are you waiting for today? Have you taken advantage of your waiting time or have you gotten stuck in it? Are you leaning in or pulling away from the God who is building you, even in the waiting? Waiting is not easy. Waiting is not fun. But it is most certainly not useless.
References
Seuss. (1990). Oh the Places You’ll Go! Random House.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The author, Crystal Neff, hails from Hannibal, MO where she serves as Associate Youth Pastor at Tabernacle of Praise, MO (along with several side gigs). She has a B.A. in Preaching and Evangelism from Central Bible College and an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Grace College. In her free time, she enjoys reading, attempting to garden, crocheting, halfway learning new hobbies, and spending time with her husband and three kids. She is also a Journey member.
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