Just waiting

Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting. 

-Joyce Meyer

My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning; yea, more than watchmen for the morning.

-Psalms 13;6

Some habits die hard.
On my drive to work this morning, I kept a check on where I could take cover if a siren - signalling an incoming rocket - would sound; behind a wall, inside a building, lying flat on the street. I must say, the roads were pretty quiet today. 

Despite an unprecedented 400 (and counting) rockets and projectiles that have been fired on Southern Israel in the last 20 or so hours, none have been directed at Beer Sheva.
The waiting is excruciating.

There's waiting for the news to be updated. How many rockets have been fired; how many were shot down? How many Israelis have been hurt; how many have we hurt? How are the people who have been hurt over the last two days doing?

There's waiting for the announcements. Will there be school tomorrow? Will I have to go to work? Are the public shelters open? Libraries, community centers, and the zoo are closed. Buses are running.  

There's waiting for the complaints. Why did they cancel school? Why didn't they cancel my work? Why isn't the government doing anything? Why is the government doing anything? Why didn't Iron Dome shoot down all 400 missiles? Why aren't there more Iron Domes? Why hasn't the city put in a safe room into my house? What am I supposed to do with my kids all day? How can I blame Trump/Bibi/Trudeau? (It wasn't a long wait.) 

There's waiting for the siren. As I've said, here in Beer Sheva, it's been quiet. But we're waiting. Should I take a shower now, or wait until after the siren, which is sure to come when I'm in the shower? Should I go to bed now, and get what sleep I can get before the sirens go off, or should I wait until after the siren, which is sure to come the minute I fall asleep. If I am cooking something, I must remind myself that I have to remember to shut off the gas or the oven if there is a siren (luckily, I, personally, don't have to actually worry about that scenario).

And the main announcement everyone is waiting for: Will there be a call-up? If so, how many? Will the army actually enter in full force? Will we finish it this time? (nope.)

We're waiting. 
In the meantime:

שיר למַּעֲלוֹת:

עֶזְרִי, מֵעִם יְהוָה-- עֹשֵׂה, שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ.

אַל-יִתֵּן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֶךָ; אַל-יָנוּם, שֹׁמְרֶךָ.

הִנֵּה לֹא-יָנוּם, וְלֹא יִישָׁן-- שׁוֹמֵר, יִשְׂרָאֵל.

יְהוָה שֹׁמְרֶךָ; יְהוָה צִלְּךָ, עַל-יַד יְמִינֶךָ.

יומָם, הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא-יַכֶּכָּה; וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה.

יְהוָה, יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל-רָע: יִשְׁמֹר, אֶת-נַפְשֶׁךָ.

יְהוָה, יִשְׁמָר-צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ-- מֵעַתָּה, וְעַד-עוֹלָם.

A Song of Ascents.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: from whence shall my help come?
My help cometh from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul.
The LORD shall guard thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for ever.