In the Meantime

First, I will begin by giving thanks to my God. I truly believe it's where we all need to begin, by being thankful. He allowed me a great report from my surgeon this past Monday. My surgeon said he will remove sutures this Thursday and to keep "doing what I'm doing" so my wounds would heal. I've been "doing" almost nothing, compared to a normal day. After the appointment with my surgeon, I then visited my oncologist who said, "We will call when we've scheduled your scans. In the meantime, be sure to get a lot of rest," which translates to, "wait and do more of nothing."

I'm not a good waiter. Not that I couldn't work in a restaurant (actually that was a childhood aspiration). I am not good at the task of waiting. This is no surprise to me; I've known this for awhile. But as you know, talking about something because you know "of it" and actually "doing it" are worlds apart. While you're "doing nothing," you have lots of time to think, to ponder, to rethink, to re-ponder. By this time, it's about mid-morning, and now what?

As most of you know, I am a high school counselor. I absolutely love my job! That's because it's really not just a job for me; it's one of my callings. There are no normal days as a school counselor and usually I'm on the go for seven or eight straight hours each day. My duties vary from actually getting to talk to kids who need guidance, to scheduling, to testing, to setting up college & career plans with seniors. One thing I do know about myself - I attack whatever endeavor is on the agenda for the day. I don't like to quit until I'm finished; but you can't do that very often in my line of work. Every now and then, I become overwhelmed with the simultaneous goings-on. It's then that I slow down long enough to ask for advice and clarity as to my list of priorities. Last year during one of "those times," my superintendent, who also happens to be a dear friend, suggested, "Have you ever thought about making a 'Not To Do List?'" (pause-nod head as if I understand) But I have to admit, at first I thought he was being a little condescending. "How dare he think that anything I'm doing is not important enough TO DO?" (Sorry. I now see that my perspective was really self-absorbed.) Lately with all this time to ponder, in this "meantime," I think I'm finally getting the meaning of a "not-to-do list."

In the meantime actually means, "the time in between" or "the time span between two events." I'm kind of in a waiting room. But I think it's all a matter of perspective - the waiting room, that is. For the "unsure," waiting can be treacherous. For the "faint of heart," the meantime is draining. But for the "seeker," this time is for ripening, for learning, for listening. It's a time to reflect, renew, rewrite the "not-to-do-list."

We can fill our schedules with lots of "stuff." Stopping ocassionally to prioritize is a necessity; and when we prioritize, invariably some "stuff" is going to sink to the bottom of the list. Either the item really isn't  important or someone else may need to add it to his/her "To Do List." Right now, I am actually making a list. A friend of mine is standing in the gap for me while I'm in the waiting room. All I want her to do is what is MOST important, so I'm not giving her my "not-to-do-list."

I'd like to end this blog with thoughts I read from a blog I've just begun to follow. This is from Daniel Darling's blog. He's a pastor, speaker and author. Here's what he said about waiting (my paraphrase):

"What To Do While You Wait"

1. Recognize that God is in control, even when it seems at times like He has forgotten you. Often when it seems like nothing is happening, a lot is happening behind the scenes; you just can't always see it.

2. Renew your faith in God and in His guidance. Many major figures in the Bible had to wait on God to bring them to the moment they were waiting for - Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David. Even Jesus said, "My time has not yet come." Jesus knew how to wait.

3. Redeem the time while you wait. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it a gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." (That's from The Message - I love that translation.)

Until next time, I'll be here, in the waiting room.