“Until God opens the next door… Praise Him in the hallway.” Love the image these words portrays. The ‘author’ of this phrase is unknown to me but I appreciate the mindset it provides. It’s easy to get frustrated or irritated… impatient in the ‘waiting times’. At least, that’s what I call those times between the closing of one door and the opening of another.
Admittedly, I am not the most patient of people… regardless of the context. To be perfectly honest waiting is lost on me. One example is that I am always starting on the next book before I end (basically editing) the one I’m working on. I don’t think I’ve ever ‘feared’ change, actually I rather look for it. Because of my tendency, do I lose the waiting or in-between times… yes, often. However, this phrase indicates that there is something to do while waiting. Praise Him.
Praise is an excellent use of one’s time. And praise always focuses us – you can’t unthinkingly praise. Praise, according to one source, is really for us and I tend to think this true. When you are praising the Lord… how/what do you feel? What is your focus? What do you think about? I really can’t imagine praising Him without feeling uplifted, focusing on the who and what the Lord has, is and continues to do, and thinking about all He is and does – for me. That really is an excellent use of time. Rehearsing all that the Lord has done grows my confidence that He still has me on His mind (Jeremiah 29:11).
I firmly believe that if I am still on earth, then the Lord still has use for me. My time should be spent readying myself and being available to Him. One thing I can do is study (2 Timothy 2:15). Ephesians 5:19 tells us to lift one another up “…with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…”. Even if it is ‘noise’, you can sing and make melody to the Lord by yourself. Those are only a couple of examples but they point to the fact that our attention should be on the Lord… not on our waiting.
