He sat on the edge of the chair and I knew he needed to talk.

An amazing young man in our lives and one of our oldest son’s best friends.

He’s played basketball his whole life and at the top of his game until this year. With his head down and shoulders slumped, he talked about the time he’s been on the bench and how painful and humbling it has been.

My heart broke for him. I too have had many “bench” experiences. When we aren’t at the beginning of something, but not anywhere near where we want to be. No longer in Egypt, but not near our promised land.

Whether it’s a career we are dreaming about, a thriving marriage we are longing for, the starting line up, financial stability, or (enter your issue here). We long for that place of promise. And the bench feels so disheartening, embarrassing, and our dreams seem so far away.

As a new writer I am warming the bench and I think I have some splinters in my rear.  I have friends way farther down the road than me with books, and blogs exploding. And so I compare myself. If you are in a period of waiting, I’m sure you do the same.

I’m also realizing through this place in the middle, between Egypt and the promised land– is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. This is the place where we grow most. This is the place where we learn what we are truly made of.

So my friend I’ve realized we have two choices when we are on the bench:

1. Turn the bench into a desk, become a student and learn.

Or

2. Sit at our pity party complaining and never reach the destinies God has for us.

Waiting can be the place where humility, character, and perseverance grow or it can be a place of three p’s that kill our dreams:

Pride, pity, and a poor attitude. 

Instead of wallowing in the three p’s, let’s ask ourselves these questions:

• How did they get there? (the people who have what we want)
• What am I not seeing or doing that I may be blind to?
• God what are you trying to teach me?

Paul had a little something to say about staying the course:

We want each of you to show the same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:11-12.

Why must Paul always get up in my grill?

I tend to get lazy, discouraged, and complacent when I have to wait on things or if they are hard. How about you?

So, what’s it going to be? Bench warmer/pity partier or benchwarmer/student?

Let’s get busy learning friend, we have some home runs to hit.

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