On Hold
Live in Motion When Waiting
Introduction
Waiting is like being stuck on hold with a customer service representative. Even when wirelessly connected using a speakerphone, we feel trapped when on hold. In this issue of The Adventure of Reflection I use the metaphor of being “on hold” and explore how to live in motion while waiting. Thank you for joining me!
A Minute of Motivation
Time Plus Effort
“Good things come to him who waits – so long as he works while he waits!”
Two essential ingredients in the recipe of success are time and effort. They work well when used in combination with each other, but are relatively useless when used separately.
Time – many people are just waiting for success to come to them. Perhaps if they’re just patient they will eventually win the lottery, marry someone wonderful, or become famous. But will success come to them? Does success search out those individuals who have been most patient? No, patience is not enough. Time is not enough.
What about the other ingredient, effort? Surely working hard is a guarantee of success. No, effort alone does not guarantee a successful life. Many people have given it “their best shot” only to find their best shot was not enough. Disappointed, they walked away from their dreams.
Effort must be exerted over time in order to achieve success. Good relationships, rewarding careers, and well-adjusted children are long-term projects.
Be willing to continue working while patiently waiting for the results of your efforts before expecting to obtain the results you desire. Use effort over time.
Note. Written in 1993 and preserved on dot-matrix printer paper. The contents of this section, written thirty years ago, waited until now to be published.
Enjoy Life More
Dance On Hold
There is a fun commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. A couple dances (and drinks beer) while the repetitive “on hold” music is playing. [I am not including the link because I don’t want to embed advertising into my other-wise ad-free writing.] The image of dancing while on hold is compelling. The typical annoyance of being tethered to a phone, unable to live freely, is eliminated by the couple dancing to the music.
There are many times when life is “on hold” – waiting for news, waiting for something bad to end, or waiting for something good to begin. It’s easy to slip into a trap of living as though we cannot move because of waiting for something outside of our control. Like being on hold with terrible, endlessly looping music, it can be hard to claim joy. Our choices seem restricted to only two: continue to wait, or, hang up and lose our place in line.
But life “on hold” includes a third choice: dance while waiting. Instead of feeling trapped, waiting to be released, we can seize the joy available, and dance. This might be metaphorical or it could be literal. Put life on speakerphone and get up and move.
To enjoy life more, don’t let life trap you, stealing your joy, when you are waiting on hold for something to happen. Instead, seize the opportunity to dance. Get moving, especially when on hold.
Faith Corner
“To all there is an appointed time, even a time for every purpose under heaven.” (See Ecclesiastes 3:1)
As I pondered life “on hold” I thought I would find inspiration from Ecclesiastes “there is a time” verses from chapter three. Among the many “times” included in this famous set of verses, there are times for birth and death, planting and uprooting, killing and healing, tearing down and building, weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing, and many others. What is not there is a time to be on hold. There isn’t even a time to wait.
What does this suggest? Well, being “on hold” is not something included in the appointed times. Being “on hold” doesn’t seem to align with any purpose under heaven. Perhaps feeling trapped while waiting for something isn’t a feeling we are supposed to have. Maybe that’s because we aren’t intended to live life “on hold” but to live life “on purpose.”
So if you’re waiting for something maybe it’s time to be doing something else while waiting. Just because one part of life seems stuck, doesn’t mean all parts are stuck. Talk to God and ask Him where you are supposed to be moving. There isn’t a time to be completely “on hold” so those times when you feel stuck might be a time for motion elsewhere.
Dear Lord, Thank You for being the One who appoints time for every purpose under heaven. I am feeling stuck “on hold” right now. Help me to see the ways You want me to move forward, trusting You with the areas of my life where change isn’t obvious. Help me live my life in motion, not on hold. Amen.
Poetry Pause
Until My Name is Called
At the dentist,
At the doctor,
I remember reading Highlights magazines,
Waiting for my name to be called.
At the license bureau,
At a service counter,
I stare at my number and listen,
Waiting for my turn to be called.
At my work place,
At an awards ceremony,
I recite my qualifications and hope,
Waiting for my name to be called.
At a hospital,
At a funeral,
I hear someone’s body failed while
Waiting for their name to be called.
Life is a Waiting Room.
I am Here
Until my name is called.
By Cindy MacGregor, June 29, 2023
Note. This is just a reflection on how much of life is spent waiting.
Old Mom to Young Mom
Waiting for a Fair Share
A common strategy used by parents when resources are only available for one child is to have children take turns. From choosing a program to watch on TV to getting to swing in the preferred seat, wise parents referee turn taking. One child waits their turn while another gets to have their turn.
During my recent stay in Indiana with my oldest daughter, I watched the turn-taking strategy utilized wisely. Each child was able to choose an episode of a favorite program, in turn. When I was pushing them in the backyard swings, they took turns getting pushed. They understood and had learned to wait their turn.
This turn-taking is found all around us. Even the trees take turns – some lead, some die, some are young and hopeful. The sun-lit space in the canopy is limited. When one tree’s turn has ended it falls to the earth, providing another tree the chance to rise up above the others, taking its turn in the sun. There are those trees who never get a turn in the sun. Turn-taking is a great life strategy but some never get their turn.
While we want our children to understand how to “wait their turn,” the harsh reality is that life doesn’t give everyone the same turns. Many who compete never have a turn to win. Despite parents’ diligent efforts to promote fairness, the world distributes resources unfairly.
The distribution is unfair with good things and also with bad ones. Like children, we eagerly await our turn for good things, such as raises and recognition, hoping to get our “fair share.” No one waits for life to fairly distribute bad things, like cancer or job loss. For those things we want to get less than our “fair share.”
As an old mom to young parents, I encourage you to set an example of fairness and teach your children how to wait patiently and take turns. During the times when they protest about life being unfair, lovingly remind them how fairness applies to good and bad. Do they want their “fair share” of the terrible things that could happen? Probably not. Help them to be grateful for the good that comes their way and for the less-than-fair bad that finds them.
Dear Dr. Mac
Dear Readers:
You can find all my previous posts at ARCHIVE
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