Waiting, Waiting and Waiting

It is a time for waiting for the Team Tan.  Each one of us, the twins included, is waiting for something – an update, a package to be delivered, a milestone, etc.  Personally, it is a challenge for me to wait for something.  But I have come to understand that learning how to wait graciously is a grace in itself.

When one is in a stage of waiting, one can appreciate and be thankful for what he/she has at that very moment.  As I wait for the kids to reach another milestone, I am thankful to God for giving them to me and Bry to nurture.  I admit there are days when I wish they’re now more independent, but I do appreciate that maturity is a process.  The twins are the best reminder to me that each child grows differently and that I have to recognize their individuality. 

Whenever I am called to wait, I am reminded that I can only control so much.  Sometimes, no matter how hard you work for something to arrive quickly, circumstances change which put things on pause.  You end up not being able to do anything to make things faster.  You can, however, control your attitude towards waiting.  Recently, Ben and I were stuck in traffic for an hour (in what should have been a 20 minute trip).  I was so stressed and it was actually Ben who helped me calmed down.  He kept on asking questions about how taxi meters work, noticed that there are still some construction workers in the nearby job site despite the heavy rain, and at one point even asked me about why Jesus died and if He is now a ghost ( the answer is sort of complicated, right?) 

There are at times when we don’t know how long we have to wait, but we do have a choice on how we spend our time waiting.  I usually try to keep myself productive, busy and “distract” myself so that I don’t become grouchy and impatient.  I admit, however, that it is wiser to use the waiting time to take a step back, pray, and reflect on the thing you're waiting for, how important it is to you, and pray that in God's time it will come to you.