On Hold. This is something I have been experiencing a lot lately.
- I called the CRA. They put me on hold after a series of questions.
- I called a parts distributor. They put me on hold.
- I wanted to get a technician booked for a home visit. I was put on hold.
Seems like I am waiting for my life to catch up to parts of me. The longest was with the CRA. But they at least warned me up front that there was a wait time. Now, how bad can it get when you are supposed to talk to a Chatbot and you get put on hold? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way.) I began to think it was me. When even AI doesn't respond to you immediately, things start to look somewhat gloomy. All of this waiting eventually got me to where I wanted to go. To the places, people, and answers I was looking for.
And then it struck me that patience and being on hold is completely part of our human condition as we move through life. We wait for babies to be born. We wait for public transit to arrive. We wait for people in authourity to make decisions about whether we got the job or not; admitted to the University program we wanted or not; if we need to move again because the rent keeps going up or not. We hold on for many things. And God does the same for us.
For example, the Creator waits until Abraham is done bargaining for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 before pronouncing judgement. In Luke 13, Jesus allows the fig tree to be on hold for another year. In Romans 5, Paul says that things have been on hold until just the right time so that Jesus could die for the ungodly.
On hold is something we all experience in life. We can accept it graciously or chafe in annoyance. Some holds are longer than others. The Jewish people held on for 40 years in the desert before getting to the promised land. Our ancestors waited nearly 10 years for the Great Depression to lift. So, the next time you are on hold, what will you do with the time while you are waiting? We never know what experiences our Triune God has in store for us. Pr. Scott
