I’ve been talking about waiting as it relates to peace this week.

Waiting: The unwanted resource
Experienced in waiting
Waiting and talking (to God)

Here are a couple more steps in what to do while waiting.

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Second, we can evaluate the wait.

Am I waiting for a century, for a decade, for a year, for an hour, for a couple minutes?

Knowing that the results of the project won’t be clear for a century means that I need to do things in the meantime. And the things I do include training a new generation how to train a new generation to look for the results. This is how cathedrals got built, for example.

On the other hand, knowing that the line is moving and will get me to the front in five minutes means that I could choose to converse with those around me while I wait.

Because evaluating the wait only takes a couple minutes, I’ll move to the third step.

Third, we can act.

What can I do while waiting that may affect the outcome of what I’m waiting for?
What can I do that may be doing something worthwhile?
What can I do that can occupy my head and hands?

Reading the menu while waiting for the server to take our order is a good thing. Worrying about the test outcome while waiting for the doctor is often not a good thing. Searching the internet for all the possible bad outcomes is never a good thing. Putting things in order before surgery is often a good thing. Calling the office a hundred times in ways that keep them from doing the work is never a good thing. Knitting scarves or baby hats is a good thing. Taking a walk can be a good thing.

Sometimes acting means going about our daily lives. A few years ago, Nancy fell in her office. Her hip broke. I have pictures of her emailing while in triage, emailing while in her emergency room. She was going about her daily life.

Some of us have habits that are helpful, and we can lean into those habits. All of us have habits, of course, but some of us have habits that we can do while we are waiting. Daily prayer, morning reading, saying “I love you”. (Some of us have habits of complaining while waiting. Those aren’t helpful).

Peter writes, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him.”

A couple more ideas are coming tomorrow.

And, while you wait, I’m sending out a Christmas party tonight at Finding Words In Hard Times. (thisishard.substack.com). You might want to subscribe.