by Cyndi
Years ago, a dear friend of ours, Pastor Harold Martin, shared a most profound quote. He said, “Waiting is a demonstration of love.” Wow. Think about that. Waiting is a demonstration of God’s love.
We tend to typically think about patience and the need for it, which, yes, we do. But here’s an example of how to use patience, a simple action that extends love — waiting.
Life Examples
I see how this can be exemplified in many ways.
- When a husband is waiting for his wife to get ready.
- When a driver is sitting in heavy traffic.
- When you are working with the elderly or children.
- When you are in a hurry to do something or get somewhere and others are not.
- When you concentrate on listening to someone instead of talking yourself.
When we patiently wait for someone to find their keys or tie their shoe or take your food order, we are demonstrating the Father’s love to them.
Some people tend to finish other’s sentences. Wait instead. Be calm and let them finish their story without having to chime in. This is honoring to them. This shows them they have value.
Also, marriages would be strengthened if we learned to wait on each other. The key here being we are putting value on them when we wait. It’s not all about us and what we want, it’s about them and valuing them. This simple act speaks volumes to their children too.
My Mother
I’m learning to wait as I am dealing with an elderly mother. She doesn’t always think clearly and forgets what she was going to do sometimes. And when I need to take her somewhere in my car it’s a slow process. I walk her to it, she gently sits down and one-by-one puts her legs in. Once in, I reach over and buckle her seat belt and close the door. This takes a bit of time. Rushing her in this process could possibly hurt her physically, but more than that, emotionally I want her to know she’s worth taking the time — she’s worth waiting for.
To the World
What if we as Christians where to grab ahold of this simple task — waiting — and shared it constantly in our daily lives? What if we held the elevator for someone still walking towards it yet were far enough away it would be okay if we didn’t? What if we waited on them instead?
What if we sought to demonstrate this love in all our interactions, placing value into every person we encounter? John 13:35 tells us that everyone will know we are His disciples by our love. Waiting is a demonstration of love. Let’s try to wait more.