Waiting Rooms

I have had occasion recently to sit in several waiting rooms while Tommy underwent some procedures.  The rooms were full of waiters.  They chatted about random things and every now and then I would hear a declaration of faith, but I did not hear it from my lips.  I was a silent watcher most of the time.
The man next to me was about 70 years old and he had three children with him ranging in age from about 8 to 16, all different in nationality and all calling him 'Daddy.'  As conversation continued, I learned that he and his wife had four children of their own and they had adopted another sixteen over the years.  I thought that remarkable.  They homeschooled all of them. One of the boys talked to me about The Three Stooges and how they had a new movie.  (No, I have not seen it.)  The oldest, a girl, told me that she would go to public school her senior year.  They were there waiting for Mom...a mom that chose motherhood over and over again, beyond her own birthing capabilities.
Tommy's procedure was over, and our wait continued in recovery where unexpected events dictated an over night stay for him. I decided to go home after a long day and return in the morning.
On the way out, I met a girl whose dad had just had surgery for mesothelioma.  He would remain in the hospital for weeks.  She too would be returning in the morning.
After coming home and thinking back on the past twenty four hours, I realized that I had the perfect opportunity to speak volumes for Jesus, but nothing came out.  It was not a matter of shyness or fear. I was empty. A friend reminded me that sometimes our output has already been put out, and we are just at rest.  I did not feel prompted to speak at all.  I read and wrote...and listened.
I believe all of us sit in waiting rooms of all kinds in our lifetimes.  We wait for a child to call, we wait for love to come, we wait for change, we wait for company, we wait for vacation, we wait for the next thing.  It is in waiting that we learn patience...and perhaps something about the person next to us...and perhaps a little more about ourselves.  I am learning to love the wait.
Psalm 130:5-6  I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;  
6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 
Galatians 5:5  For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.