Are You Living in the Waiting Room of Life?

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about waiting. I hear others (and myself) talking about what we're waiting for - the weekend, vacation, for life to slow down, for business to pick up, to find the perfect place to live, to find the right partner, or for our kids to get older. Sometimes it seems like there's always one more thing we're waiting for so that our lives can truly begin. And here's a big one - I'm waiting on God.

Don't get me wrong - waiting on God is important. When we try to get ahead of God, or get impatient and just strike out on our own, things don't go very well. But we can't stop living while we're waiting.

Every single moment is a part of life that can only be lived right then. Once it's gone, there's no getting that sliver of time, that piece of life back.

So even though I may be waiting for the weekend for a certain thing to happen (or maybe for nothing to happen), or though I may be waiting for certain life circumstances to change, it doesn't mean that I need to wait to live life to the fullest. While I'm waiting, there are still relationships to be built, music to be listened to, sunrises to watch while drinking that first cup of coffee, laughter to be shared with a child, and the message of God's love to share with each person we meet.

So, yes, wait for what needs to be waited for. Don't make rash decisions without prayer, wise counsel from others, and careful thought. But don't stop living while you wait.

I took fifteen minutes to sit on the front porch with a cup of coffee and watch the sunrise this morning. It was so beautiful and peaceful.

Today's Bible story.

Alphabet Bingo is one of our favorite games. We only played one round, though, because we were in a hurry to get outside.

We learned a little about sea lions and colored a cute picture of a baby sea lion.

Playtime - reading a menu, building with blocks, taking a blood pressure.

New toys and friends to enjoy them with - what more could a child ask for.

Partway through our morning, I heard a loud crash that startled me. My first thought was that it came from the construction site across the road, but that didn't seem quite right. I went to look and realized there had been an accident. Michael was here to watch the kids, and Amanda was here as backup if he needed anything so I went over to see if I could help anywhere. There were four vehicles involved, but everyone except for the person in this car was okay, just shaken up. The person in this car was trapped, and there were multiple people already there working to get her out. The lady in the vehicle in front of the car was badly shaken up, so I just stayed with her, talking, letting her know what was happening around her. I know from having been involved in an accident before that sometimes that's the best thing for those involved, just having someone calm and supportive close by.

Seeing this, talking with the people who were involved, made me realize how quickly life can change. It reinforced for me that I want to live every day fully, not sitting in the waiting room of life, but living every day to its fullest.