Nathan Wait!
March 28, 2020 – Laura House
We loved camping. I look back now and am surprised that I not only survived but actually thrived in those experiences. Back then, it seemed like nothing to pack up the kids and van, head to a state park and tent-camp in the rain, wind, and one time, unexpected snow. As taxing as these trips sometimes were, they also brought our family close and made memories that will last a lifetime.
Just like our beach trips, many of our camping trips included extended family. Together, we camped at Mammoth Cave National Park and toured the cave; Pine Mountain State Park; the dunes at Lake Michigan, and many others, each one creating its own unique memories. One of the kids’ favorites was an Indiana state park, where the boy cousins slept through a torrential rainstorm, waking up in a lake that had accumulated on the tent floor. That same trip concluded with us having to break camp early in the pouring rain, a pop-up camper sliding off the road into the ditch, and the aftermath of the take-down, mud-caked kids and gear. But those same mud-caked kids had the time of their lives, culminating with donuts and cider at our house, while the haggard and worn adults cleaned up the mess and felt grateful it was over.
When Nathan was six, we headed to Natural Bridge State Park in Kentucky to camp. Starting with a long hike, we became a little exasperated with his pace because we couldn’t keep up with him. Following the little toothless boy in the coonskin cap, we had to constantly shout, “Nathan wait!” We teased that we should change his name to that — Nathan Wait House. Reluctantly, he’d slow down so we could all catch up, then he was off again.
But our afternoon hike turned dangerous when he impulsively burst ahead again and disappeared around the corner, unaware of the cliff that was just around the bend. I’ll never know exactly what happened or how close of a call it was, but when we got there, he was traumatized and we quickly felt that way too. It was a close call and the realization of what “could have been” made its mark on all of us. Gathering Nathan in my arms, I held him close and thanked the Lord.
I’ve discovered that just like six-year-old Nathan, I don’t like being told to wait either. Actually, our culture is one that seeks any way possible to be more efficient and not have to wait. In a flash your coffee or dinner is delivered at the drive-through window, ATM’s make transactions speedy, self-checkouts let us avoid lines, and with Amazon Prime you can order something today and get it tomorrow. Perhaps a book titled, “The Lost Art of Waiting” could be helpful to most of us today.
Have you ever prayed earnestly expecting an answer that still hasn’t come? Doesn’t God know that it’s urgent? Psalm 27:14 instructs us to, “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” I don’t know about you, but I often find this to be extremely hard to do. Today I’m still learning to wait on the Lord and I still struggle with being still in the midst of the rapid pace of life.
But what if the times of waiting allowed God to teach us something that we otherwise would miss? What if we drew nearer, listened more closely, and learned to trust more deeply while we waited? I’m confident that the Lord is using this waiting to mold and shape us into who we’re supposed to be.
This truth gives me a fresh perspective as I wait to see Nathan, my mom, my father-in-law, and so many others that I treasured here on earth. Inadvertently, grief from missing our loved ones sometimes overwhelms us and we momentarily forget that at the end of our waiting, we’ll also be entering the presence of the One who loves us most — Jesus!
Here are just a few of the many verses that can encourage us to learn to patiently wait.
Micah 7:7 “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”
Isaiah 40:31 “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Psalm 130:5-6 “I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.”
Hebrews 6:17 “And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.”
Romans 8:25 “But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
Psalm 25:5 “Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.”