The Waiting Is The Hardest Part
Tom Petty used to sing, “The waiting is the hardest part.” I wholeheartedly agree! I hate to wait. Wow, that rhymes. Maybe I should become a songwriter like Tom.
As many of you know, my book, Lead Like a Bodyguard, was released on Amazon yesterday (Barnes & Noble now has the books as well) in all formats and will be available on many other outlets soon. It has been about sixteen long months since I signed a contract with the publisher, so it seems like it took an eternity to get my finished work online. Nearly every day, I checked my emails to see if there was a word from the publisher, but most days, the hunt was futile.
I felt as if my computer screen displayed a huge bright red sign reading – WAIT!
However, it is not just waiting on a publisher that drives me crazy; there are many equally maddening experiences to handle nearly every day of our lives.
The holidays will soon be upon us, which means long lines at the grocery store. Standing in line at the grocery or any other store is torture to me. And, somehow, I manage to get in the slowest line every time. How is that possible? I am a smart guy who has jockeyed store lines for many years, but I still have not mastered the art. And, why do I somehow find the person(s) whose cart is full, and half the items are not priced? Don’t these people know how busy I am? And so I wait.
Then, there are stoplights. Stoplights should only be considered suggestions, not laws. I also feel this way about speed limits. I am always in a hurry, and my car does not even idle at twenty-five miles per hour. Waiting on the light is bad enough, but I often find myself behind women applying make-up on the way to work or a teenager diddling on their phone while the light is clearly green. I want to lay on my horn, but I’m a Christian, and we don’t do that sort of thing. And so I wait.
How about talking to the Social Security Department or the IRS? One could starve to death sitting in a phone queue to eventually find out you’ve called the wrong department. People have been found nearly dead with cell phones propped to their heads, listening to an instrumental version of “Yesterday” over and over. But this call is vital to my existence, so I wait.
And what about God? The Master of the Universe seems to prefer long and arduous over quick and painless. There even exists a Scripture verse stating, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14). Since, to the Lord, a day is as a thousand years, He is in no hurry. For Him, there is an infinite number of tomorrows, so why be hasty? My publisher must be on the same wavelength as God. That is disturbing.
As much as I disdain it, waiting on God or the person in front of me at the store is healthy and productive. (I can’t believe I am writing this.) While waiting, many admirable character traits are developed.
Waiting is an opportunity to learn patience. Patience is a virtue, but one should never pray to receive it. There is no need to ask God for this trait; He already has a plan for you in that department. Patience separates the mature from the underdeveloped. It requires faith, grace, determination, and wisdom, all admirable qualities. Waiting provides an opportunity for learning and growth. I have learned a lot about writing and publishing while waiting to see my book on Amazon.
Patience allows one time to slow down and reflect on essential matters. Waiting allows the opportunity to notice new vistas and develop deeper relationships. It also gives time for healing.
And waiting makes the fulfillment of a goal much sweeter. One savors an accomplishment more fully if it takes determination and patience to realize it. I’ll be honest: I’ve gotten on Amazon and searched Lead Like a Bodyguard a dozen times since it was released on Kindle last week and in book and audio form yesterday. I’ve visited the Barnes & Noble website more in the last two days than in the previous ten years. Viewing my book cover is a delightful sight since I know what it took to get into that search engine.
Numerous times in the past six months, my lack of patience caused me much consternation. It irritated me that I could not get what I wanted when I wanted it. Finally, in my frustration, I decided to turn my project over to God. What a brilliant idea! I decided that God probably knew the best time for my book release, and He could likely make it happen. So, seven days before my seventieth birthday, He released my work. That is quite a present. Oh, that God, He knows what He’s doing.
I want to thank all of you who have taken notice of my good news as I announced it on Facebook yesterday. Your outpouring of support is heartening. I know many of you have already purchased the book, and for that, I am thankful. I hope the words between the covers are encouraging, informative, and inspiring. If you are a leader, I pray something on those pages helps you to take one step forward in your leadership journey.
This book is based on the Biblical story of Nehemiah, one of my favorite characters. Through this process, this old bodyguard has become a good friend. Nehemiah knew how to wait on God, and we can all learn from his example. I think his advice would be the same as the Psalmist.
“Wait patiently on the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
The waiting is the hardest part . . . but it’s worth it.
