Worth the Wait

First of all, apologies for the long break that I have taken from blogging. I had no intentions to do so, it just happened. Perhaps I was not moved, perhaps I was distracted by other things, or perhaps I was just not feeling particularly creative. But going along with the title of this blog post, maybe it was worth the wait!

Since March (and my last blog post), I have returned from my second trip to Ethiopia, continued to travel across the country and the world for work, fallen ridiculously in love, started my Invisalign treatment, developed an intense liking of brussel sprouts, beets, and anything with truffle oil, and gained and lost 5 lbs, several times :-) Eating, traveling, and loving – that pretty much sums up my year! I really can’t complain. I am blessed!

I don’t know if it’s the Christmas season, or just my particular state of mind at the moment, but I have been realizing lately how much I have benefitted from waiting. Not only on big things, but small things too. I think that God has used this past year to really show me the art of trusting, being patient, and appreciating things that take a long time. For example, a slow-cooked meal in the crockpot? Worth the wait. Not only do you get the benefit of a deliciously smelling house, but whatever you put in there is almost guaranteed to be tender and delicious. All of the ingredients have had hours to become friends and that is worth the wait.

Or what about opening gifts on Christmas morning? My family has always opened gifts on Christmas morning with the exception of one on Christmas Eve night. I remember being a little girl and begging my parents to let me open *just one gift* on Christmas Eve night. The suspense was just too much for me to handle and I so badly needed to get my greedy little hands on something and tear open the wrapping paper. They indulged me, but as I’ve gotten older, I have learned to appreciate the fact that I was only allowed to open one. Christmas morning just wouldn’t have been the same without the anticipation of discovering what was laying beneath the tree. Worth the wait.

I spend a lot of time in airports and on airplanes. Because of this, I have learned that there is a flight schedule for a reason. There are only so many gates, so many ramp personnel, so many crew members, and so much airspace. I have waited a lot. Waited in a security line, on a tarmac, in a club lounge, at a boarding gate, and for a mechanical issue to be resolved. And through all of this, I always try to remember that my safety is the first priority for the airport and the airlines. Not my comfort, my safety. That extra-long wait on the tarmac while I’m safely buckled into my seat? Maybe the winds are too high or there is another plane that is unexpectedly on the runway. The waiting at the boarding gate when a flight is delayed due to a mechanical issue? I would much rather not get on a defective plane. Please, take your time to resolve whatever mechanical issue there is and then let’s go. Or what about that extra-long security line that threatens to make me late for my flight? To me it’s worth the wait if it means that I can board an airplane with the confidence that I will be as safe as another human being can make me. So as frustrating as waiting in an airport or on an airplane can be, knowing that my safety is at stake here, it’s definitely worth the wait.

What about a relationship? So many times in my life I have questioned my position in life. Or rather, I have questioned where I am compared with where I thought I would be and where the world tells me I should be. It’s easy to do, isn’t it? And it’s also very easy to compare myself to other people who are of a similar age, education, and background. Thankfully, I am not governed by the world; I am governed by my Savior. And my status and worth do not come from comparing myself to others; they come from Jesus.

In June, I met the love of my life. Actually what happened is that God plopped him right in front of me out of nowhere. I am 35 years old. Was he worth the wait? Oh yes he was! You see, as much as I have wanted to be in a relationship these past few years, God knew that I wasn’t ready. I didn’t realize it, but He did. Which is why every other relationship that I have been in has not worked. And why a lot of doubt and frustration has ripped through me more times than I would like to admit. Was all of that doubt and frustration worth it? Absolutely it was. God was working in some big ways – teaching me, molding me, softening me, preparing me, encouraging me. All for Him and him :-) God has gifted me with the man who is most perfect for me; the man whom He hand-crafted to one day be my husband. And that, my friends, is most definitely worth the wait.

I truly believe that waiting helps us appreciate things more. If we were to always get what we want when we want it, we would never feel the butterflies and the joy that we so often experience when our waiting pays off. I believe we would never learn the value of life’s most precious lessons and rewards. Besides, what we want is not always what we need. And what we need is ALWAYS worth the wait.