God's Waiting Room - A review

Waiting for an appointment with a doctor can be irritating, time-wasting, and downright anxiety producing. , Debra Johnson uses the common experience of a waiting room as a metaphor to show how life in general is filled with stressful times of waiting. It’s funny that I came across this book in the waiting room of someone I want to interview in a few days; it was like he was indirectly saying something to impatient people like me. The writer suggests Bible verses, examples of prayers, and prayer writing exercises as strategies to help you trust in God patiently, while including snippets from her own life struggles, too.

You will find relevant listings of Bible verses throughout the book. In the chapter “Wait,” for example, she espouses that love; joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance are the necessary traits which “…will keep us in good waiting form from now until eternity.” She then offers verses specifically addressing each of these qualities. She cites John 15:11, for example, as referring to joy: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” Other verses allude to different qualities, and each chapter opens with a pertinent verse too.

I would say the best thing about the book is that Johnson provides several examples of her own prayers, which are sufficiently general so as to apply to different types of difficult waiting times. She writes, “Dear Father: You know I have spent many moments, many hours complaining, fussing, gripping, and yelling about having to wait.” The prayers range from “Help Me to Wait” prayers, to “Now I am Waiting” prayers, to “Emergency Room” prayers. After some of the prayers, she suggests Bible verses for further study. Also, after each type of prayer, she leaves plenty of space for the reader to create their own personal prayer.

This can be described as a concise, practical, and efficient self-help manual with a Christian focus.

Don't wait too long till you read it...