What are you waiting for?

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Ask anyone what they’re waiting for and the answer usually involves their waiting on some kind of opportunity.

We tend to think that, but for most of us, our self-awareness is so ridiculously low we actually believe we’re waiting on opportunity. But truth be told, most of us fail to see the flurry of opportunities that come our way on most any given day.

Instead of waiting on opportunity, many of us have taught ourselves to tune out opportunities because we’ve already made a decision to live and function at a level beneath what we could attain if only we embraced what opportunities that do come our way, or what opportunities we could actually create if only we put forth the effort.

And make no mistake about it, opportunities require effort. Opportunities are but invitations to act, to work, to toil, to respond with effort; they are not magical provisions or bestowals of gifts.

Because of that, so many choose to pass on opportunities (which require work), and simply wait on what will come their way without effort. AJ Juliani, an education blogger, recently posted a very poignant lesson learned about the “Waiting Place” from the wise Dr. Seuss:

    Sure, he wrote “kids books”, but I never doubt for a moment the lessons his books can teach us adults as well. Dr. Seuss urges kids (and all of us) to stay out of the waiting place …

    You can get so confused
    that you’ll start in to race
    down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
    and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
    headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

    The Waiting Place …the_waiting_place
    … for people just waiting.

    Waiting for a train to go
    or a bus to come, or a plane to go
    or the mail to come, or the rain to go
    or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
    or waiting around for a Yes or a No
    or waiting for their hair to grow.

    Everyone is just waiting.

    Waiting for the fish to bite
    or waiting for wind to fly a kite
    or waiting around for Friday night
    or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
    or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
    or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
    or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

    Everyone is just waiting.

    NO!

    That’s not for you!
    Somehow you’ll escape
    all that waiting and staying.
    You’ll find the bright places
    where Boom Bands are playing.
    With banner flip-flapping,
    once more you’ll ride high!

    Ready for anything under the sky.

    Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

    -Dr. Seuss, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”

Juliani observes that it takes a combination of great curiosity AND great courage to step out of the “waiting” places and into the realm of unknown possibilities and opportunities. Indeed, fear and complacency can be equally paralyzing …

    One can go through life waiting for opportunities to come their way … but chances are slim that they will unless you go out and grab them yourself. Now I try to live my life with courage, looking for opportunities and giving myself time to be curious. Don’t let yourself stay in that waiting place. Be curious. Be courageous.

When Peter saw Jesus walking upon the water, he was curious, and he sensed an opportunity!

“Then Peter called to him, ‘Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.’” Matthew 14:28.

When we call out to Jesus about the opportunities in our lives, He often responds the same way He answered Peter: “‘Yes, come,’ Jesus said,” Matthew 14:29.

Scripture doesn’t support our position of wasting away our lives in the “Waiting Place.” Instead, it offers a stout exhortation to the contrary:

“Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days,” Ephesians 5:16.

Seeking, seeing, embracing, or creating opportunity takes courage! But God has made provision for that:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline,” 2 Timothy 1:7.

So, what are you waiting for?

Scotty