Waiting for Godot…or the Mailman

I woke up this morning thinking about Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot. This was odd for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that I haven’t seen or read the play in almost two years. To top it off, I don’t even like it. I’ve never understood it. Until this morning.

If you’re not familiar with this existential comic-drama, the entire play centers on two characters, Estragon and Vladimir, tramps in the middle of nowhere who spend two acts waiting for a person named Godot, who never appears. In the meantime, their ramblings about their past escapades and their present futility are interrupted only by the random appearance of two other travelers, Lucky and Pozzo, who momentarily side track the tramps from their obsession with Godot.

Weird right? Imagine waking up thinking about that!! But it occurred to me that like Estragon and Vladimir I too have been waiting for Godot. Oh, I’m not waiting for a mythical character to pop into my life to change my circumstances, but I’ve been anxiously looking out for the mailman everyday and checking my e-mail for news about a contest or submission. Like the two tramps, I’ve been focusing on what might be coming instead of what is here. I’ve been worried about what news the mailman could be bringing instead of trusting God to direct my path and having the courage to step out in faith.

After contemplating Godot and spending time in prayer I think I’m finally ready to stop waiting for what I hope will happen and start living the life that I’ve been given. I don’t want to end up like Vladimir and Estragon, stuck on the same road for eternity. And so today I’ll be busy working on new proposals, new stories and new opportunities!  I’ll be much too busy to be waiting for Godot…or the mailman!