I love my Apple products. I own the Apple Trifecta: iPhone, iPad, and Macbook Pro, and I consider myself very blessed. But the one Apple thing I do NOT like is the APPLE STORE.

*Shudder*

It is always filled to capacity with humanity, and while there is a plethora of cool gadgetry to keep you occupied while you wait (100 hours), you can rarely get close enough to said hardware to enjoy it. The only saving grace is if you have a Genius Bar appointment. Then you only have to wait about half an hour.

Sigh.

Yesterday, because my iPad was having difficulty charging (which is unacceptable as I head into a very long flight to another country), I went to the Apple Store armed with an appointment and cut straight through all that humankind to the back of the store to wait for my Genius. I was standing against the wall with all the phone cases, and I turned when I heard a tiny voice.

(I always turn at a tiny voice because I’m a grandmother and am now ruined forever)

There was a young mother, waiting with a little girl who couldn’t have been two years old, and after I stared at her with admiration for her bravery in even entering the doors to that place with a child, I started to pay attention to what they were doing. Standing in front of the array of colorful phone cases, she said…

“Sweetie, can you show me the pink ones?”

The little girl smiled really big and began to gently remove each pink case from the wall, to the floor. Her mom didn’t scold her for taking them down, but said this instead…

“Good! Now, I wonder how many are there? Let’s count them as we hang them back up!”

And the little girl picked them up, one at a time, and counted all the way to twelve before she got mixed up.

They proceeded to do this with three other colors before their name was called. Nobody got upset in the waiting. There were no whiny meltdowns, or floor-pounding tantrums. It was impressive.

I felt a little foolish when I realized that rarely do I face a period of waiting with the openness to view it as a teachable moment. I’m usually too caught up in the inconvenience of it, or how it messes with my plans. But waiting gives you time to reflect and slow down enough to see what’s really happening in your life…to see what might need to change before you can move on successfully.

If we’re not willing to be taught as we wait, we won’t be nearly as well-equipped when we arrive…or, worse, we may never arrive at all.

They finally called my name and got me fixed up. As I was turning to leave, I caught a flash of pink run out the door. I almost told my Genius that they were letting another Genius get away. I mean, I know she’s young, but just think of all the knowledge she’ll amass as she waits to be the right age!

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25 ESV

“But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
    They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
    they walk and don’t lag behind.” Isaiah 40:31 MSG

“Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 25:5 ESV