Lady in Waiting

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.