Welcome to the introductory article in my 6-part series focused on Productive Waiting.
When I think about waiting, my mind typically conjures the lyrics written by Tom Petty. I mentally sing those words, “You take it on faith, you take it to the heart. The waiting is the hardest part.” I do not thrive through periods of waiting. I endure it. My thoughts zoom to what I will do when this period will end rather than being part of the moment. The process creates restless energy and leaves my mind unfocused. Waiting is unproductive for me.
I am wondering if you can relate. Waiting is something I do when I have been forced to do so. I have never willingly made the choice to wait. Who would? Even though waiting is usually associated with frustration and annoyance, there are elements that may be turned into positive behaviors and productive outcomes.
I recently shared the
A King in Waiting
When David was a boy, he was chosen by God through the Prophet Samuel to become King of Israel. There was one problem: Israel already had a king. David would become king after the current one, Saul, vacated the throne. We can learn a great deal by studying David’s examples of productive waiting through his early life. Plus, I have found other contemporary examples of productive downtime which I am eager to share with you.
We are never required to wait. We could push for resolution right now, putting our needs ahead of everyone else’s needs. It’s selfish but it works. In our example of David, he could have pushed himself on to the throne or killed Saul to get him out of the way. Instead, he waited. We can learn a great deal from this historical example.
It’s Tough Waiting to be King
David’s time waiting to become king was a very productive period. He learned to be a shepherd and tend his family’s flock of sheep. During his time in the pastures, he developed his musical and spiritual passions. He also learned to defend his flock by slinging rocks. He practiced this skill until he was able to bring down anything that attacked his flock, whatever the size. David effectively used his waiting period to hone his skills through practice and repetition.
This practice came in handy when he got a bit older. The people of Israel were in a battle with the Philistines and were in trouble. The only way out was to agree to duel the Philistine warrior named Goliath. Nobody from Israel dared stand up to the giant. Luckily, David showed up and, as a boy, determined to fight.
We all know what happened. David’s faith and his skill slinging stones brought down a much larger foe. His hard work while waiting prepared him for the moment. He delivered his people out of the hands of the Philistines, but he inherited a new enemy, King Saul. King Saul became jealous of David. He knew he was chosen and he feared he would be relieved of power, even though David had no intention of pushing Saul away. David spent his time being productive.
The rage-filled Saul stalked David for more than 10 years. Fortunately, David successfully escaped every attack. During this time, David was even forced to go live in a foreign country to remain alive. Amazingly, David remained loyal to the king throughout this entire period.
The Anticipation Ends
Finally, David snuck up on Saul and cut off part of his robe. Saul was unaware this happened. David later approached Saul and showed him the piece of cloth. Immediately, Saul realized his errors and his own jealousies. Saul’s sons, including David’s friend Jonathan, ended up being killed by rival nations and Saul killed himself as that same enemy closed in on him.
David grieved the King and his friend greatly. Following this mourning period, David ascended to the throne of the king. His first step of his governing was to free the kingdom from its oppressors and consolidate the power back to Jerusalem. His hard work during this waiting period was a reward to all of the people of Israel.
4 Things to Do While Waiting
David is known as a loyal son, diligent shepherd, prolific musician, songwriter, and warrior. Above all of these things, his people admired him for his heart. David was chosen because he loved God and followed him unconditionally. From his loyalty and his actions, we can learn a great deal about waiting.
David waited more than 10 years from when he was promised the throne until he finally reached coronation. During that time, he underwent many challenges. He could have pulled the
During the next several weeks, I will publish a series of articles designed to help all of us think about waiting. These articles will investigate activities that allow us to make better use of our time. We are going to look at these productive ways to wait by reviewing:
David used the productive activities listed above to manage his period of waiting. In addition, I have uncovered modern examples to broaden our understanding of what productive waiting looks like. For example, we will take a look at how JK Rowling’s meditations allowed her to escape homelessness and create unbelievable stories. Other examples include Julia Child, Harrison Ford, and Stephen King. These stories supplement our investigation beyond King David.
Application
Waiting does not mean you have to nervously twiddle your thumbs, check your watch every 30 seconds, or get aggravated and take your frustrations out on others. Waiting does not have to be a waste of time. In fact, this period might turn out to be the most productive time in your life, especially if you focus on applying yourself to improving.
Insights from other
Let’s take a look at what we can do to avoid stress and idleness while waiting for our time to come. Please join me as I reveal how these activities created the perfect opportunity once the waiting period had ended.
Who around us is waiting productively? What can we learn from them?
The next installment of the series shares ideas regarding Meditation. Also, check out this article detailing how challenging your mind creates a healthier you.