U.S. Army culture could be summarized in one sentence: Hurry up and wait. As a former Army Sergeant with two tours to Iraq, I can confidently tell you that this is truly an Army way of life. There is an expectation that you will quickly get to the right place, at the right time, and in the right uniform. And then…you wait.

Formation for physical training might be at 5am, but you won’t actually start running till 6am. You hurry up and wait. Formation for airborne ops might be at 6am, but you won’t actually fly and jump till 9am. You hurry up and wait. Formation for a briefing might be at 5pm, but you won’t actually get your briefing till 6pm or later. You hurry up and wait. You get the idea.

Who among us likes to wait? Not me. Waiting is hard. We want our lives to move with the quickness and adrenaline rush of a good 2-hour action movie. Alas, our lives aren’t a cinematic thrill. There is so much hurry and waiting in our lives.

Hurry isn’t actually a problem for many of us. It’s the waiting that is excruciatingly difficult. Hurry produces that dopamine rush. Waiting produces a dopamine crash. Hurry is exciting. Waiting is boring. Hurry is the high. Waiting is the low.

When analyzing the Christian life, waiting (more than hurrying) is commanded and encouraged. Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” Lamentations 3:25, “The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” James 5:8, “You also, be patient [or wait]. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” From Old Testament to New Testament, the children of God are exhorted to wait on God – wait on His timing, His will, and His direction.

At the time of this writing, I am currently waiting on the birth of my 5th child who is currently 6 days past due. My wife and I are eager to meet our new son face-to-face. There has been so much hurry in preparation for this child, but (for now) we wait. And waiting is good…Hard, but good. As we wait, we will choose to be strong in the Lord by trusting the Lord. As we wait, we will choose to seek the Lord by spending time with the Lord in His Word and prayer. As we wait, we will choose to see the goodness of the Lord by praising the Lord. I trust you’ll do the same in your time of hurry up and wait…