Love Is Waiting

I have three words for you. Love is waiting.

A few years ago, I bought a t-shirt that has the words across the front, “Love is waiting.” To tell you the truth, I bought the t-shirt second hand at a thrift store. I have never been a t-shirt wearing girl, but I had decided I would give it a try. So one day, I went to the thrift store and bought a few shirts. This one in particular wasn’t anything special at the time.

At first, I thought about the words on the front being meaningful maybe for someone still anticipating finding Mr. Right. You know, you’re out there, hopeful of meeting Prince Charming, and so you think to yourself, he’s out there, love is waiting.

At some point, the words took on a different meaning for me. One day I thought, love is WAITING. Like, “love is patient, love is kind”…love is waiting.

When you finally found that Mr. Right and are eagerly awaiting that wedding night—love is waiting.

When you are so ready to start a family of your own and nothing seems to be working—love is waiting.

When you are ready for a few minutes of peace and quiet and it seems it’s forever until the kids go to bed—love is waiting.

When you are ready to go, and no one else even has their shoes on yet—love is waiting.

When you are starving and the kids are starving, too, and you are just ready to sit down and eat a hot meal—love is waiting.

When you are sitting in the driveway, watching the minutes tick by, and the kids still haven’t walked out with their backpacks—love is waiting.

When your teenager is short, and moody, and standoffish, and you don’t know how long it will take for this phase to pass—love is waiting.

When it’s late, your big grown-up kid should have been home already—love is waiting.

When you and your spouse seem like you’re not the same people together you once were—love is waiting.

When their health has deteriorated and you are doing everything you can to hold it all together and you don’t know how much more you can take—love is waiting.

When you are seeking forgiveness in your own heart or in the heart of another—love is waiting.

When you feel like you absolutely cannot wait for those fully-grown kids and their families to arrive for the holidays—love is waiting.

One of my all time favorite songs is, “While I’m Waiting,” by John Waller.

I will move ahead, bold and confident,

Taking every step in obedience.

While I’m waiting,

I will serve You.

While I’m waiting,

I will worship.

While I’m waiting,

I will not faint.

I’ll be running the race,

Even while I wait.

The truth is, in love and in life there is quite a bit of waiting. But love is waiting and in that love we are called to be bold and confident and we are called to serve and and to worship. The truth is, let’s not rush, let’s run the race…even while we wait!