by Stephen Dennis
“Hurry up and wait” was the demanding phrase that I heard over and over again at basic military training. Everyday seemed to be a series of rushing to the next task only to be told to “wait” once you arrive. When it was time to eat, we would be rushed to the chow hall only to wait outside for 45 minutes standing in formation until it was our turn. They called this building character, but in the moment it just felt like we were wasting time. Basic military training was chaos to say the least, however years later I would begin to understand the benefits of the phrase “hurry up and wait”.
Seasons of life change quite frequently. We have ups and we have downs, laughs and tears, hardships and good times, and it always seems to be changing one way or the other. When I think of life seasons, I immediately can identify with the season of “hurry up and wait”. You see, what “hurry up and wait” felt like to me was complete and utter mayhem, and that’s the exact season I can currently identify with.
My wife Jennifer and I are in this season of waiting. We have some amazing plans we are formulating that will project us into our next season of life, but currently we are on standby. Even in the waiting, we feel as though we are hurrying through life. Everything is rushed, all day, every day. Presently we are serving with a church plant (City Lift Church in Oakland Park, FL) which can seem like one giant sprint every Sunday. Our weeks sometimes feel like a blur as we are moving forward with serving the church, working jobs, health complications, balancing relationships, etc…yet no matter how fast we run, we are still in this “waiting” stage.
The season of waiting can often feel frustrating and disorderly. There are times I begin to get anxious about being in this waiting season which feels like a giant storm. When I begin to have difficulty navigating this season, I am reminded of Mark 4. In Mark 4, Jesus and His disciples are on a boat out at sea when a violent storm begins to nearly overturn their boat. Terrified, the disciples go to find Jesus, who was sound asleep on the boat. Check out this next part of the story in verses 38-40, “38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Jesus spoke a few words, and the wind and waves obeyed His command.
The same Jesus that calmed the storm for the disciples will calm the storms in your life. However, notice in verse 40 Jesus asks if the disciples still have no faith. These are men that have witnessed Jesus do incredible miracles, yet they were scared of a storm. Sometimes we may go through these seasons of waiting, and it feels like our boat is going to capsize. However, if we remember who is for us, if we remember who is on our “boat” as we navigate life, we can rest assured that the seas will settle, the dust will clear, and we will be able to sail safely. We just need faith. I’m talking bold faith. I mean the kind of faith where you know without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus will not only get you through the storm, but He will calm the storm.The Bible never promises we won’t have difficult times, seasons, or storms in life. What the Bible does promise is that we have access to a God who will not only calm the storm, but will calm our hearts in the process.
I’m not sure what season you are facing, or if you feel that you are constantly “hurrying up to wait”, but I do know that you have a God who will carry you through the storm.
