Picture this. You have a doctor’s appointment today at 4:00; nothing serious just a standard check up. You live about 30 minutes away so in an effort to be punctual, you leave a half hour before your appointment time. Since you drive a little over the speed limit, you actually get there with 5 minutes to spare. You check in and the receptionist tells you to have a seat in the waiting room and they will call you back shortly. You knew there was a slim chance you’d be taken back right away, so you came prepared with a book. Five minutes pass and you’re actually enjoying having this time to yourself to unwind after a long day at work. Just then you are interrupted from your leisurely reading to notice a woman walking frantically into the waiting room. It’s 4:10. 10 minutes past her appointment time and she was running late. The staff are very gracious and get her signed in as well. As the excitement wanes, you bring your attention back to your book. Your phone buzzes and alerts you that you have a text message. As you are unlocking your phone you notice it’s 4:15. They must be running late today! Oh well, you’ve got your book and at least frantic late lady is here suffering with you. That is, until she’s not. It seems as if you’ve spoken too soon because just then the nurse comes to the door and calls not your name but the name of the woman who was 10 minutes late for her appointment. Not only that, but she only waited 5 minutes! You’ve waited three times that long! You feel yourself start to get agitated, but decide that there must be a reason for it. You go back to reading but as soon as you do, another woman waltzes in and she is 15 minutes late for her appointment! She doesn’t even look like she cares! She sits down but she hasn’t much more than cracked open a 5 month old magazine when her name is called! Are you kidding me? At this point, you’re frustrated for sure, but you’re also wondering what’s up. Your mind starts racing trying to find certainty that you had the right day and time. I mean are you even at the right office? Maybe it was the dentist you were supposed to be at! Did you miss your appointment somewhere else? You decide that you are going to get to the bottom of this so you go ask the receptionists about the wait. They thank you for your patience and say that it will be just a little bit longer if you’d like to have a seat they will call you in just a few minutes. You sit back down, somewhat satisfied with this partial explanation. At least you’re in the right place. But come on! You’ve been here for 20 minutes now and not one but two people have gotten to go before you. Not only that, but they were both late. At least the first one was a little concerned that she was late and apologized, and at least she had to wait a little bit, but the second one was way later and she didn’t even care and didn’t even have to wait at all! How unfair! And to add insult to injury, you were five minutes EARLY! I mean yes you may have driven a little over the speed limit but you weren’t late! You even came prepared with a book for goodness sakes! You’ve been responsible and you’ve done everything right. Why?

Now, I know we’ve all been in this literal situation to one degree or another, but think of it now as a metaphor. Perhaps you’ve been passed up one too many times for the job promotion you want. Perhaps you’re working tirelessly at a task only to have someone else recognized for their efforts that didn’t spend nearly the amount of time or effort you did. Perhaps you’ve been waiting for something you really want and all throughout the waiting period, everyone else who is seemingly less deserving is getting everything you want. Or maybe you know you’re the most qualified person for a position, but someone less qualified is put in that position. The feeling is one that is not easily forgotten because being passed over has the ability to make one feel so insignificant. In a matter of seconds, you can go from being content to feeling like you aren’t good enough. The question of, “When will it be my turn?” is one that haunts the forgotten.

However, in the midst of the pain that being forgotten can sometimes cause, a biblical truth rings in the distance. Even if it’s a dull chime, it rings nonetheless that though people may overlook you, God has chosen you. Lysa TerKeurst puts it like this, “Overlooked by everyone else. Handpicked by God.” And I know, yes, in the moments where you feel forgotten, just as in the doctor’s office you wonder if the “doctor” himself has forgotten you. But I assure you, He hasn’t. I can’t tell you with factual certainty that what you and I are waiting on will come soon or even at all, but I do know this: the frustration is not worth giving up your character for. What I mean by this is, in the waiting is where the majority of refinement takes place to prepare you for an answered prayer. For you to throw in the towel, or not do something with excellence because, “It doesn’t matter anyway, it never works,” would actually be more detrimental to your progress than helpful. After David was anointed as king, he went right back to tending the sheep…for YEARS. If I were David, I’d be inclined to think the anointing was a joke or a mistake, but if he ever thought that way, he never acted on it. We’ve got to continue acting with upstanding character which includes patience in the waiting. Is it difficult? Absolutely. Will there be pain and tears? Probably. But will it be worth it? You bet. Just keep with the grind, friend, one day you’ll see your destiny, whatever it may be, come to pass.