Feb 18

Decreasing Wait Times

One of the topics that consistently shows up on our pharmacy agenda is decreasing wait times for patients. Time is valuable. Nobody wants to wait an inordinate amount of time if it’s unnecessary, right? And I get it. Many of these patients have been up since 0-dark-thirty in the morning to commute to the hospital to have their blood drawn. They have waited to eat due to the requirement for fasting labs. When they proceed to appointment #1, surprise, surprise, they wait again to see their Primary Care Doctor.

The physician they are waiting to see is also waiting for the results of those lab tests so that he/she can evaluate them, determine a diagnosis, and discuss a plan with the patient. After that appointment, the patient could have multiple other appointments with a specialist, a dietitian, a physical therapist, or an ophthalmologist. All before finally making it to the pharmacy, the usual last stop of the day before heading home. After an already full 6-8-hour day of appointments, they are usually completely tired of waiting.

It’s Simple Enough

“All you have to do is put my pills in a bottle and give them to me. It shouldn’t take that long”, a patient commented one day. From his perspective, I could see how he could get that impression. After all, he is unfamiliar with the detailed process that occurs with every prescription. He doesn’t know about the various checks in place to ensure this new medication doesn’t interact with his other ones. Or to ensure he doesn’t have an allergy to it. Or the steps involved to ensure the correct medication in the correct strength, with the correct instructions for use, get into the correct bottle dispensed to him. He was judging the perceived wait time by the end product (pills in a bottle), not by the process (safety checks).

Isn’t that how we approach God. Without knowing what He’s up to, we offer up our complaints about the wait.
  • I thought I’d get my dream job straight out of college. What’s taking so long?
  • Alex advanced to manager after 3 years. I’ve been here 5 years without a promotion. What’s the deal?
  • How long do I have to wait for my mate? All of my friends are married with children by now.
  • I’ve been praying a long time about this rebellious child You gave me. Will I ever see signs of change?
  • You’re taking an awfully long time to address this situation, Lord. Can’t You just speak a word and make this problem disappear?
  • I’m tired of struggling so long in this area when it comes so naturally for her.
We see the end product in the lives of others and desire that, without considering the process it took for them to get there. Or we disregard the development God must do in us to prepare us for that position, that mate, or that level of success we desire.

You Can Have It Fast or You Can Have It Right

Something in us despises waiting. Yet, there has to be a balance between speed and accuracy. I’m sure no patient wants to jeopardize their health (risking an error in filling their prescription) in exchange for a few extra minutes of wait time. Most would choose right over fast any day.

Likewise, we can’t rush our growth process either. No adult ever skipped adolescence. No adolescent ever bypassed childhood. Not one toddler ever skipped infancy. To arrive at the destination God is taking us, maturity, integrity, and character have to be developed over the course of time.

Yet we consistently forget that if God has us in the posture of waiting, it’s for good reason (Romans 8:28). In His comprehensive knowledge of the past, present, and future, He runs our requests through a series of order checks we don’t see. Does this agree with My overall plan? Is this beneficial for her long term? Is he mature enough to handle this at this time? Will this result in their growth? Who else other than themselves will this benefit?

Yes, we see the end result that we want. But maybe, just maybe, God is ensuring His plans are done right, regardless of the length of our wait.

Mindset During the Wait

One sure way to make your wait time seem longer is to focus on the wait. To sit and stare at the second hand traveling around the face of the clock. Watch the minute hand move only once every 60 seconds. Just 5 minutes will seem like an eternity. And the more you wait, the more frustrated and anxious you become during the wait.
That is, unless you change your perspective.

Each waiting period comes equipped with hope. It’s the expectation of a desired outcome. We endure delays in traffic with the expectation that this route will ultimately lead to our destination. We wait in the doctor’s office hoping he can address our illness. We work diligently throughout the week, expecting a paycheck at the end. We wait on the Lord with the expectation that if He has us waiting, He has a definite plan for it (Ephesians 1:11-12). It’s not a purposeless wait.

Activity During the Wait

Since we have to wait anyway, we might as well change our view of the wait. I’ve learned from my great friend, Rebekah, who happens to be a fantastic planner, to never be caught without a book. Although the activities of her day are well planned out, she factors in possible delays to her schedule and comes equipped with reading material to pass the time. Any hold-up that arises doesn’t derail her plans, it gives her opportunity to enrich her mind, so she makes the best use of the delay.

  1. Anticipate the wait. 

    We tend to react to delays differently when we know they’re coming or when we’re prepared to encounter them. Be assured that, as mentioned before, development in any area of our lives isn’t automatic or instantaneous. Growth occurs in stages. The valuable lessons in spiritual childhood lay the foundation for maturity in spiritual adulthood. So, embrace the stage you are in and don’t be in a rush to move to the next one. But do keep a book, the Book, the Bible handy at all times to gain insight on how to maximize your time, energy, and efforts during this stage.

  2.  Allow development of your character in the meantime.

    Deuteronomy 8:2-3 describes why God allows roadblocks, delays, and hindrances in our journey that increase our wait times. One reason is to reveal to us who He is. Another reason is to reveal to us who we are. During the Israelites’ 40-year journey, God demonstrated His power, provision, and protection to illustrate His faithfulness to them. He confirmed over and over again that He could be trusted.

    But the same time period God used to reveal Himself to them, He also used to “test” them to “know” what was really in their hearts, whether or not they’d keep His commandments. Their unwillingness to see Him as trustworthy, demonstrated by their refusal to follow His commands, resulted in an extended wait…from 2 weeks to 40 years!

    Delays, setbacks, and roadblocks are revealers of hearts. They expose what we really think about God. Don’t be found complaining in your time of waiting. That only extends your wait. But instead, acknowledge that His timing is purposeful and be diligent about doing what He requires of you in this season of waiting.

  3. Activity with purpose.

    Make the most of your time by learning how to C.O.P.E. with the wait.

  • Confidence in God’s timing: In our waiting, recall to mind the truth that our times are in God’s hands (Psalm 31:15). He has you exactly where He intends you to be. So, be diligent in this season, knowing that when He’s ready to move you to the next level, nothing can prevent it.
  • Obedience:  We can’t control when our wait is up, when our prayer will be answered, when our promotion will come. But we have full control over what we choose to do in the meantime. Act on what He has revealed, while awaiting what is hoped for. Seek to glorify Him with your actions and benefit the lives of others. Pursue  undistracted devotion to the Lord (Proverbs 16:3).
  • Patience and Preparation: Don’t view waiting as just passing the time. Waiting is instead an opportunity to develop patience and an occasion to prepare for what’s coming. What would you think of a doctor allowed to rush through a 12-year program in 4 years simply because they were tired of the wait. You’d argue, “They’re not prepared to practice medicine.” The full length of time is necessary to ensure adequate training. God knows the same is true of our lives. What you learn in this season of life is essential to the next one. So prepare well.
  • Endurance: Don’t give up too soon or take an unauthorized route. Endure this season by keeping your eyes set on Jesus. He alone knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). And He promises that those who wait on Him will not be ashamed (Psalm 25:3).

 

Perhaps you, like me, are in a series of waiting rooms in your life. Waiting for circumstances to improve. Hoping for a change in your current season or status in life. Anticipating a new opportunity. Expecting an answered prayer. Take steps to C.O.P.E. with the waiting. Confidently trust God’s impeccable timing. Obey His Word while waiting on His promise. Patiently focus on what He has for you to do right now in preparation for the next season. And endure to see Him keep His word despite the length of the wait.

Remember, what seems to be a delay is really God delivering you at your destination at just the right time. Trust His timing. It’s always worth the wait.

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