In her loneliness, the passive waiter becomes indiscriminant about the company she keeps. She lounges on the couch of her singleness, and before she can fluff her pillow, the Destructive D's of Discontent, Discouragement, Despair, and Depression nestle beside her. They smother her as they scoot over to make room for their nasty cousins, the A's - Anxiety and Anger. These companions so monopolize her time and space that her life has no room for God or for giving to others.

What a contrast to the active waiter. The active waiter finds purpose in every moment. She eagerly grabs hold of life and squeezes and possibility out of every situation. Through the waiting, she develops an enviable trust in God. Psalm 37:3-7 (NIV) describes the active waiter:

* Trust in the LORD and do good [by reaching out to others];

* Dwell in the land [make your home, settle down, be at peace where God puts you].

* Delight yourself in the LORD [make the Lord your only joy], and he will give you the desires of your heart.

* Commit your life [totally and unreservedly] to the LORD;

* Trust in Him and he will do this:...

* Be still before the LORD and

* Wait patiently for him.¹

Trust, dwell, delight, commit, be still, and wait are all imperatives - they are not suggestions but commands. But of all the commands in Psalm 37, "wait patiently" is the most difficult. We can do this only if we have knelt at the altar of God's timetable with open hands and an open heart and prayed: