The mall is crowded. Agatha struggles to walk and leans on John as they dodge shoppers and attempt to elude the authorities chasing them. Accused of a crime, John needs Agatha to prove his innocence. They have one advantage. Agatha sees the future.

Suddenly, she stops. John tells her they must keep moving. But she insists they wait. Seconds pass. They wait. The police draw closer. They wait. Then, a man holding a cluster of balloons stops, shielding them from their pursuers. The authorities run in a different direction, and John and Agatha escape.

The scene above is from the movie Minority Report, and when I saw it for the first time nearly eleven years ago, I was in the midst of praying and crying out to God to bring me a husband. As I watched, I felt God speak to my spirit, and I now realize this scene illustrated the test I would face.

Wait.

Eleven years later I’m still single, and God has confirmed in other ways that I am to wait on his timing and direction regarding a husband. It is through this experience I’ve learned waiting for God is challenging, humbling, and rewarding.

Waiting is challenging because we want to move and just do something to fix our circumstances. It appears illogical and feels wrong to stand still. But taking action when God has asked us to wait can have costly consequences, and the movie illustrates this principle. Had John not listened to Agatha, they could have been captured.

Waiting is humbling because it requires us to acknowledge we’re not in charge, we don’t know what is best, and what we want may not be right for us at the moment. In the movie, John was accustomed to being in charge, but he had to humble himself and listen to the one who knew what was best because she saw the future.

Finally, waiting is rewarding because when we are humbled and challenged, we can develop a deeper relationship with God. Though someday we may be given what we are waiting for, the best gift is a strengthened relationship with the Lord. So if God is asking you to wait for something in your life, I encourage you to remember Psalm 27:14: Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.