Christians talk about "waiting on the Lord" a lot. Waiting for God to answer their prayers, waiting to hear from Him before making a decision. We sing about it, send greeting cards about it, and so on. But are we waiting on Him, or is He waiting on us most of the time?
As a homeschooler, no big yellow bus rumbles down the road to announce the beginning of the school day. Getting my "class" to sit down, pick up their books, and get started on their assignments is a daily experience akin to herding fleas. (Mind you, these aren't tiny elementary tots who can be physically manuevered into their seats. These are teens and a preteen!)
This week we've been jumping through the state of Colorado's hoops and taking standardized tests, as the law requires. I've also been working some additional hours at the local paper for a special section, necessitating a tighter than usual time schedule.
By Friday morning, as my kiddos bumbled around in a sleepy stupor and pretended there wasn't anything to eat for breakfast, I reached a point of uncomfortable frustration.
"I have things to do! I can't wait around for them!" I thought.
And then the Holy Spirit spoke up on the inside of me. "That's how the Father feels, too, everytime you put off obeying Him because you have your own agenda, your own plan, and you've chosen to put your wishes first."
You could meditate for days on the truth that God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, isn't in some state of suspended animation in heaven. He's not hibernating, and He's not taking a break. God has things planned! He has days that have been ordered and outlined since before the foundation of the world. That's such an amazing thought.
Our Heavenly Father has stuff He wants to get done, and a great deal of it depends on our cooperation to be fellow workers together with Him in the earth. When we don't follow instructions, He has to wait, and wait, and wait. Making other people wait for us is selfish. Making God wait for us is foolish.
What was the last thing God asked you to do? What was the last assignment you were given? Have you done it? Or is God sitting behind His heavenly desk, tapping His toe, rolling His eyes, and saying to Himself, "I am patient, I am kind ... My mercies are new every morning ... I am patient ..."

Forgive us, Lord, for making you wait on us like little children. Help us to grow up out of that selfish immaturity and to make Your assignments, Your goals, our priority! Thank You for Your immeasurable grace and mercy in Christ Jesus. Amen.