I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in
his word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5
I looked up to and admired
them both. My sisters, six and eight years my senior, were my models for who
and what I should become. I don’t recall the exact date but it became clear to
me they were in a club I was yet to enter - Womanhood. I dreamed of the
day and wished with all my heart to join them.
It was under a cloudless
Kansas sky, my mom drove me to the mall. This day was big. Huge even. I was
just ten years old yet my mom acquiesced and we were en route to get my ears
pierced. Step one of two to reach my goal of maturation would soon be marked
from my list.
When I returned, "holier" than
I’d left, I strutted around my sisters’ sun blankets to ensure they saw the
sparkling treats which adorned my ears. My swagger blocked the sun and I was soon
shooed back into the house. Women only in the sunbathing zone!
Imagine my utter delight when
just a few hours later that telltale sign appeared. Step two of blastoff to
womanhood burst on the scene. My cycle had begun. This time I sprinted outside
certain the announcement of my current status would earn me a place on the
mat. It did not. The gap between my
sisters and I wasn’t menstruation or jewelry. It was age - a chasm no physical change could close. I
would forever be the younger sister.
At ten I didn’t realize much of life is spent waiting:
The nine long months of
pregnancy
The years for an
adoption to come through
The indeterminate span of
time for a spouse to find work
The decade spent writing
before the first book is published
The hours until your teen comes home
The years until retirement
All of us wait on something.
For years I thought when life paused I was waiting on God. One day it occurred
to me perhaps He was waiting on me instead. It's in the interims of life my
character develops. I grow in grace and compassion. I learn patience and trust.
Waiting is not wasted. It is packed with the precious. That's why I love being a lady in waiting.
