Aug. 15, 2025

The Frustration of Waiting in Line (or on Hold)

The Frustration of Waiting in Line (or on Hold)
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Tired of feeling frustrated in life’s waiting lines? Today, we’ll see how God can turn even the most ordinary delays into powerful moments of growth.

Ever feel like you’re stuck in life’s “baggage claim,” just waiting for something to happen?

Maybe you’re in a season where progress feels slow, and every delay feels like wasted time. But what if the wait is exactly where God wants to work in you?

Sometimes, God’s greatest work happens not at the destination, but during the delay. Learning to see waiting as purposeful can transform frustration into peace—and even joy.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

  • Why God’s timing is just as important as His answers
  • How patience shapes your character for what’s ahead
  • A practical way to see waiting as productive, not wasted

The next time you find yourself “on hold” in life, remember—God never wastes the wait.

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Scripture Mentioned in This Episode:

James 1:4 – “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

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WEBVTT

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True story from the Houston Airport. They were drowning in complaints about long waits at the baggage claim.

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So they threw resources at it, more handlers, faster delivery, and got the average wait time down to about 8 minutes. But here's a twist. The complaints didn't go down. And this caught my attention because I'm in and out of the Houston Airport on a fairly regular basis. I usually do a full week with just a carry-on and a backpack, mostly to avoid the baggage claim altogether. But this story made me rethink how I respond to waiting. And the truth is, I hate waiting. I don't like to admit it, but I'm not a patient person. You know, I always feel like waiting is a waste of time.

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But, does God see it that way?

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Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, a pastor for over 40 years. And, for the next few minutes, we're going to talk about what God can do in those frustrating in-between moments when you feel like life is just on hold. James 1, verse 4 says, God isn't just concerned with getting you to the destination.

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He wants you to experience the positive transformation that can happen on the way. We live in a culture where waiting is an inconvenience to be eliminated.

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Two-day shipping feels slow. So, Amazon figured out a way to provide same-day delivery. But, unfortunately, it's not offered in our area. Or, what about that spinning wheel on our phone? It feels like it's taunting me.

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what does God think about it?

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Scripture tells us that patience, the real enduring patience, isn't something we stumble into.

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It's something God works into us while we're waiting. He says, there's a purpose in the pause.

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I think the problem isn't the length of the wait. It's our perspective in it. We want progress to be measured in speed.

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But, God measures it in maturity.

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Those moments in the line at the grocery store or stuck in traffic. Or, even waiting for an answer to prayer. They're not wasted. They're occupied space where God is training your heart to trust His timing. It's all about perspective. Here's what the Houston airport tried next.

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And, it sounds backward. They lengthened the walk. The airport moved some arrival gates farther from the carousel. And, routed bags to more distant belts.

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Passengers now spend more time walking and less time standing still. The complaints? They dropped to near zero. Why?

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Because it's in the mathematical theory of waiting lines, or queues, referred to as queue psychology. Yeah, that's a real thing. Occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time.

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When you're moving, the wait doesn't feel like wasted life.

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You know, maybe God does the same thing for us. He fills the wait with movement. Not always toward what we asked for, but always toward who He's making us to be. Think about that next time you're on hold. And, by the way, enjoy the music. Lord, help me see waiting not as wasted time, but as space where You are at work. And teach me to embrace patience, trusting that You're shaping my heart for something better than speed. You're shaping me for Your purposes. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thanks for joining me today on Daily Devotions for Busy Lives.

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Remember, God's delays are never wasted. Come back next time for more encouragement to help you live grounded in God's truth.

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Until then, God bless, and have a great day.