Waiting

Waiting is often dismissed as a passive pause between moments of action. In the spiritual life it can become a significant discipline that transforms our heart. Author, Henri Nouwen writes, “A waiting person is a patient person. The word patience means the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us.” Do you hear the invitation in this quote ? Treat each moment not as empty or wasted time to be filled, but as a hopeful expectation of grace taking root. Nouwen goes on to say, “Waiting time is not wasting time. Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.” When we wait with expectancy—believing that God is already at work in our lives and the lives of others - we shift from restless or anxious "doing" to mindful "being", discovering that our soul can flourish in these times of stillness.

This “active waiting” is at the heart of spiritual discernment. In Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life, Nouwen teaches that true discernment arises when we learn “to listen to a deeper sound and march to a different beat, a life in which we become ‘all ears.’” He cautions, “Acceptance of God’s will does not mean submission or resignation to ‘whatever will be will be.’ Rather, we actively wait for the Spirit to move and prompt, and then discern what we are to do next.” In this sacred waiting, our heart, mind, and ears are attuned to the subtle direction of the Holy Spirit, turning each moment of uncertainty into an opportunity for faithful listening and courageous response.

“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.” Isaiah 40:31: