One morning at breakfast a new employee came to our table. He introduced himself and said, “I will be waiting on you this morning; what can I get you?”
After we ordered our coffee and breakfast, Stan said, “Did you hear the spiritual significance of what that young man just said?”
“Spiritual significance?” I said. “He just asked what we wanted for breakfast!”
“You’re right,” Stan replied, “but what he said reflects an important difference in how I relate to God.”
“In what way?” I responded.
“The difference between waiting for God and waiting on Him.”
“There have been many times,” Stan continued, “when my focus was completely on waiting for God to do something, usually for me, out of my self-focus. What the Holy Spirit has shown me is that what God really wants is for me to be waiting on Him, in the sense of serving Him.”
“So,” I replied, “the difference is between focusing on yourself in waiting for God, or focusing on God in waiting on Him.”
“Exactly,” Stan replied.
“And to take it a step further,” Stan continued, “I believe God wants me to be waiting on Him while I wait for Him. He does not want me just sitting around waiting. It’s the difference between being active and passive.”
“God does not want me running ahead of Him while I wait for Him, but He does want me to be serving Him while I wait.”
“That is what waiting for the train is all about!” I replied.
“Amen!” Stan said. “Serving God on this side of eternity while I wait to go to the other side.”
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Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you want me to wait for you and not run before you doing what I want to do apart from you. Thank you also for showing me that you want me to wait on you, in the sense of serving you with my entire being, while I wait for you. You know and I know how self-focused I can be in waiting for you to do something for me. Please, Lord, forgive all of that. And please lead me in serving you — in waiting on you while I wait for you. Thank you I can and do bring all of these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Waiting for the Train 