How Do You Respond When You Have To WAIT? Melanie Redd
How to Avoid the Anxiety of Waiting
This week, I’ve been in “waiting” mode.
And, I really HATE to wait!
I’ll admit it.
I’m pretty impatient.
No, I’m really impatient!
Whether it’s waiting in the afternoon traffic, waiting at the doctor’s office, waiting for a phone call, or waiting for God to answer a prayer – I don’t enjoy it.
And, I’ve noticed I’m not the only one.
As I’ve looked around while waiting, I’ve noticed I’m in very good company.
No one really likes to wait.
Waiting can cause anxiety, worry, doubt, and frustration!
So, I’d like to suggest a way to avoid these negative responses to waiting – to avoid the ANXIETY of waiting.
Just for fun, next time you have to wait in line or in traffic, look around you.
You’ll notice some of the most amazing sights.
In fact, there are about SIX kinds of “waiters” in our world:
1] The Jittery “Waiters“
Some people get really jittery when they have to wait.
For example, when my sweet daddy is ready to go somewhere and he has to wait on my mom or on someone else, he gets jittery. He paces around the house, jingles the change in his pocket, and almost gets a little hyper. The wait brings out the jitters in him.
When people have to wait in the Department of Motor Vehicles, some of them get jittery. They tap their fingers, re-cross their legs repeatedly, and some even sigh loudly.
~ How about you, are you a jittery “waiter?”
2] The Anxious “Waiters“
There are some people who wait in an anxious manner.
They get worried, upset, nervous, and fearful about what is coming next.
Fear grips them as they wait for the next event, the next red light, the next phone call, or the next challenge in life. They wait in fear.
- One friend of mine lives this way. Every news report, every email, every event in her life just compounds her fears. What if this happens? Or, what if that happens? What will we do?
- Her life and her time “waiting” flood her heart with fear.
~ How about you? Are you a fearful “waiter?”
3] The Talking “Waiters“
This is that man or woman whose words gust to hurricane-force speeds when they have to wait.
They get on their cell phones and rack up the minutes.
Or, they talk to the person next to them in the waiting room, who just nicely nods and listens.
They share every detail on Facebook or send out 50 tweets while they are seated and waiting!
Waiting attacks them, and they start to gush!
~ Is this your way to wait? Are you a talking “waiter?”
4] The Get-Much-Done “Waiter“
This is that person who gets busy doing everything they can to pass them time as they wait.
You know the type… when they have a doctor’s visit, they bring a whole basket of things to do while they wait.
No minute is wasted for this individual. They must make the most of every spare moment.
- These are the women you see putting on makeup as they drive to work.
- And, these are those who mess with their phones while they are stopped at a light.
- These are those men and women who never sit still – ever.
- Multitasking is the name of the game for this person
~ How about you, are you a busy “waiter?”
5] The Sad “Waiters“
When you sit near them in a car or waiting room, they seem defeated.
Life is already hard enough.
Now, this…
They have a lot of Ziggy in them:
Or, Eeyore:
~ Are you one of these “waiters?” The sad “waiters?”
6] The Peaceful “Waiters”
These are those men and women who’ve discovered the “secrets” of waiting.
They wait well.
They seem peaceful even in the most difficult or lengthy or challenging circumstances.
What is their secret?
I believe that these folks have learned the secret of being content – no 
matter what is going on around them.
They have learned to be QUIET and STILL deep within their souls.
There is no fidgeting, panicking, anxiety, talking, or multi-tasking deep within their hearts.
They are calmly at peace with God, and able to be calmly at peace with life.
Consider these words:
Psalm 37:7a
“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.”
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God!”
Hannah Whitall Smith, Streams in the Desert
“A quiet spirit is of inestimable value in carrying on outward activities; and nothing so hinders the working of the hidden spiritual forces, upon which, after all, our success in everything really depends, as a spirit of unrest and anxiety.
There is immense power in stillness.
A great saint once said, “All things come to him who knows how to trust and be silent.” The words are pregnant with meaning. A knowledge of this fact would immensely change our ways of working. Instead of restless struggles, we would “sit down” inwardly before the Lord, and would let the Divine forces of His Spirit work out in silence the ends to which we aspire.
You may not see or feel the operations of this silent force, but be assured it is always working mightily and will work for you if you only get your spirit still enough to be carried along by the currents of its power.”
So, poor “waiters” like me — take heart!
If we can be still before God in the deepest recesses of our INSIDES, then we can deal with the chaos, waiting, and events swirling around us on the OUTSIDE!
Peace deep within can lead to peace all around. Click To Tweet
I pray we will all move toward becoming more peaceful waiters…
How do you deal with waiting?
~ Which type of waiter are you?
~ What has God taught you about waiting and how to better handle it?
I always enjoy hearing from you!
**And, would you do me a favor — if this article has helped you today — would you share it with someone else? Maybe a friend, coworker, or family member…
~ Photo of Ziggy (by Tom Wilson) Found on gocomics.com
~ Photo of Eeyore Found on blogs.disney.com
How to Avoid the Anxiety of Waiting
© Melanie Redd and Ministry of Hope, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Melanie Redd and Ministry of Hope with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
