Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me is a popular Public Radio Program. The title plays off the familiar mental intellectual interlude, as in when you are asked a question—to which you know the answer—-problem is that the answer is “on the tip of your tongue” —and you want to speak it, but your voice refuses roll it out . You’ve been there; the correct word resonates with you.
Waiting is not a favorite thing for most people—honking horns on the street readily tell you that. Waiting has many facets; there is anxious waiting, as in a medical waiting room; excited waiting for the Cap and Gown; joyful waiting in the maternity ward; —to name a few. I have experienced all of the above, plus some. I learned early on as my family grew, that waiting does not have to be a negative or a waste. For decades, I made it a practice to keep a book in the car, as well as other reading choices; there is almost always waiting time.
I avoid talk radio entirely, and I limit TV. I try to plan carefully what I read—something that inspires, is wholesome, good information. It makes waiting refreshing. Usually it’s a book I’m working through, and something fun (a favorite fun book is a collection of Charlie Brown cartoons—Snoopy and The Red Barron).
Farmers know the value of waiting; waiting until the right season for a crop, waiting for seeds to germinate, the harvest to be ready for gathering; waiting that cannot be rushed, lest a crop be ruined. Musicians know the value of waiting—until the right time to sound their note; in some orchestral compositions Timpani players may have to wait mosst of the entire composition before playing any notes—sometimes only then to strike on queue. Such waiting adds delightful tonality to the experience.
Waiting-with-purpose is my favorite kind of waiting; for a delightful meal, for a visit with a dear friend, or finally to curl up with a good book. You, very likely, have your favorite kind of waiting-with-purpose. Sometimes that waiting may be simply taking a nap—which is a way of waiting for your spirit to catch up with your body. According to The American Heart Association, A good nap can get you out of that afternoon slump, recharge your energy, and leave you more alert and in a better mood.
The Prophet Isaiah said to those who were about to give up, that waiting on the Lord gives new strength, a strength that endures. The Psalmist made a great case for waiting: I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Copyright© Willis H. Moore 2025