Waiting

This week is the week where my thesis writing comes to an end. After months of effort, I can only thank God that it is ending. Anyways, in my campus, in order to submit the thesis, I need to also write a reflection report. In this report, I am asked to reflect on what I have learned during the last semester of my bachelor studies and write it down in S.T.A.R.R. framework. Surprisingly I find this framework very useful to explain a situation, my approach, and what I have learned from the situation. I would really like to use the framework for my post today. Hope it helps you understand my writing a little bit better.

I am not sure if I have ever written anything about the topic before: waiting. Especially about waiting patiently and eagerly. So, here is for the first letter of the framework: Situation (S).

Situation (S)
Yesterday I ordered online a rim of paper and an ink cartridge for the preparation to print my thesis. I plan to do it today or at max tomorrow evening. The store said that my order should be delivered the next day but it did not specify the exact time of delivery. So I had to wait for the postman the whole day today. I did not want to miss it because if I did, I had to wait for another day or take it myself from the post office the next day. I did not want to burden myself with some additional task.

Task (T)
Be awake and ready when the bell rang so that I did not miss the delivery.

Action (A)
I tried working, cooking, playing games, watching movies to keep me awake.

Result (R)
The delivery came quite late in the afternoon. It was past three o'clock. But I was awake and ready for the delivery. So, after the first bell, I rushed downstairs to pick it up.

Reflection (R)
I had waited for it to come the whole day. It was not enjoyable. My heart and body was alert all the time. I could not rest. I guess, this what God wants when He said that we should be waiting eagerly for His second coming, for He might come unannounced like a thief. I have learned that waiting is an ongoing process of getting our heart ready for an unexpected turn. Our heart may never be settled while we are waiting but that might be because we are hoping to not missing the big thing when it passes. Lastly, though it seems long, we should keep waiting joyfully and faithfully without neglecting our responsibilities.

Be strong in our waiting, Friends, for God is able to sustain us til it comes.