Bruce Jameson completed all his courses except one. He wanted to finish it, but as he said, “life happened.” He got married, found a job and started a family. There was no time to go back to school. Now, at the age of 93, he has been awarded his Bachelor of Engineering. And that one course, German 2…he didn’t have to take after all.
Bruce had a dream, but he had to wait for it. Life happened and it was all he could do to keep up with everything else. It wasn’t until his grandson looked into the matter that the university agreed to help. Bruce waited 70 years to walk across that stage.
Most people today can’t wait while their phone charges. Seriously, we are a very impatient generation. God, however, still uses delays to shape and build us:
- Waiting reveals what is truly in your heart. People without the right heart desires won’t wait around long enough to make a commitment to something serious. We need more than just good intentions. Good things are worth the wait and we clarify our values as we wait.
- Waiting helps to build patience in your life. This doesn’t seem to come naturally to anyone. I haven’t met anyone who likes waiting. Yet, as we learn to be patient in small things, we develop muscles to wait for bigger things. If we believe God for great things, he is going to test us to see whether or not we can handle it. In Scripture, we see that all of his servants had to learn to develop patience. A few thousand years later, his methods haven’t changed.
- Waiting increases your dependence upon God. This is the lesson that the saints in the Bible learned. God would always honor his promises, but his timing tested many people. It was during these difficult times of waiting that people drew closer to God and discovered what real dependence on him means. Our ultimate need is to be fully reliant on God.
“You also must be patient. Keep your hopes high, for the day of the Lord’s coming is near.” (James 5:8) So whatever you are waiting for today, don’t be discouraged. It just means that when it comes to pass, you will have developed a great relationship with God.