God-of-Waiting

So the other morning I was lying in bed, aware of the Lord's presence, thinking about revisions to my names of God project, thinking about how long I've worked with His names, wondering if something will come of the work—wondering how long before I even know if something will come of it. (Something outside of me, that is, since I've already been enriched personally by studying God's names beyond my wildest dreams.)

I'm acquainted with many people who have worked on much larger projects for far longer. I also make frequent additions to my mental catalog of people in the Bible who waited long upon the Lord. Knowing that I'm in good company reminds me that the Lord may be trusted to bring His purposes to pass, whether or not He makes His actual purpose known in what He asks.

Whether I wait on Him or He waits on me to get into step with Him, my God seems to specialize in waiting.

My thoughts rabbit trail from the names of God and about His waiting and back to His names. A mental whine traverses the path, that my waiting is still my waiting. Then a notion slips heavenward.

"One of Your names really ought to be 'God-of-Waiting' You know."

I immediately sense in my spirit that one of His names is about waiting, but I've just never seen it.

I sit stock still. Which name did I miss?

El Olam. Everlasting God.

Light bulb! How did I not catch this nuance when it's right there in the Scriptures?

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, YHWH,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
~ Isaiah 40:28

No one outlasts Him. He set his plan in motion six thousand years ago, and still He waits.

Tsur Olam. Rock of Ages.

Trust in YHWH forever,
For YAH, YHWH, is Rock of Ages.
~ Isaiah 26:4

My mind's eye looks upon the Rock of Gibraltar, imagining the ocean's waves and storms and winds relentlessly pounding upon it and never wearing it away. It is solid, immovable, reliable—like my Lord, as He waits.

My waiting suddenly becomes very small as I recall that He is bound up with me in the waiting. It isn't really even my waiting, but our waiting—mine and His.

Yes, the waiting of seven billion other people too.