Recently a pastor explained the meaning of “waiting on God.” I’m not going to expound on the religious or spiritual meaning of this phrase. I’m interested in the meaning of “waiting” and its implications for all of us. The pastor emphasized that this is not a passive state despite our most familiar definition of waiting. He explained that instead, one is actively aware and actively preparing. In contrast, current definitions for “to wait” from dictionary.reference.com focus on “becoming passive” or “being passive.” To wait is a verb, “to remain inactive or in a state of repose.” A less familiar meaning is “(of things) to be available or in readiness,” and also “to postpone or delay something or to be postponed or delayed,” and “to look forward to eagerly.” There are also several archaic definitions, “to wait (on things), to be in readiness for; be reserved for; await” and “to attend upon or escort, especially as a sign of respect.” The origins of the word come from both medieval French and German originally deriving from “to watch,” “a watch,” and “wake.”
To illustrate, as a therapist I sit with clients and listen to their narratives. Sometimes I feel uneasy because while I am listening I cannot sense the common threads that tie different stories together. Without those connections there is no unifying theme or meaning to explain the emotional power underlying them all. I have learned that in this moment I need stop thinking and analyzing. Instead I need to let my mind go blank and open my senses to take in information. For example I become aware of my haptic response to the client’s posture and body language in conjunction with the quality of her voice, and the content of her stories. In my experience I find that shortly after I switch gears to this receptive mode, I always “know” what the client is talking about on a deeper level. The pastor’s explanation of the meaning of waiting and my experience of taking in information are similar. They are both active and receptive states. The archaic definitions of waiting as a type of watching are a more accurate description of these ways of being engaged.
In a related perspective, Jonah Lehrer in his book “Imagine” explains that a relaxed mind is more apt to come up with creative ideas or solutions than one working to focus directly on a specific problem. The relaxed state allows the mind to cast about and find many different associations. This is also akin to being in an active waiting state because the lens for the work is more diffuse.
I propose that this mode of waiting can be a useful tool in several ways. Allowing time to stay alert and open and to mentally prepare can be useful. Also, in our fast-paced world, responses to information are often expected to be as fast as possible. Usually this means linear thinking, focusing directly on the issue or problem at hand. In spite of the pressure to act quickly I suggest that when a problem or a situation is serious enough, spending a longer amount of time waiting but aware with a relaxed mind will in the end provide more value by enhancing understanding and offering good ideas. Chances are the responses will be more accurate and more complete.