Jacob of Serugh talks to us today about waiting in A Year with the Church Fathers. His point is that we should not rush out of mass as soon as we've received the Eucharist. But he brings up the idea of waiting for God.
We are told throughout the Bible that waiting on God is a good thing. That if we wait on God, we will "renew our strength" and "fly like eagles" and "run without growing weary" and "walk without fainting." It's a recurring theme in Scripture. And we see examples of it, too. Lots of folks waiting all of their lives, well into their advanced age, for a promise to come true. Both Simeon and Anna waited their entire lives to see Jesus, and praised Him in the Temple. Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, waited well into her advanced age before she gave birth to John the Baptist. And the Old Testament is full of stories of people waiting until their old age before they're given a promised child.
So why does God like to make us wait? I'm sure there are reasons that are beyond my ability to grasp with my limited human understanding.
But.
I think that we CAN get a good handle on two reasons why waiting is important. Reason one is that God waits for us. Have you ever realized that? That God has existed forever, and waited until the moment you were born to experience your unique personality? And then He waited for you to become aware of Him, and to come to Him and love Him. His love, which so often goes unrequited in so many people's lives, is requited in yours. But He had to wait for it.
Because, reason number two, it is love. And you probably know that when we're in love, we are constantly having to wait. We wait for them to be interested in us. We wait for them to ask us out, or we wait for them to say yes. We wait for the first kiss, the first date. We wait to get engaged, and then we wait for marriage. Then we wait for children. There is so much waiting that goes into being in love.
And that's what we have with our Creator. It is a love affair, and it's full of waiting. Waiting makes us want something more. And throughout time, He has waited for us, and in our lives, we wait for Him in return.
And how glorious it will be when we wait no longer, but come into the kingdom as His bride. When we see the beatific vision, all of the waiting will be a million times worth it.
God, thank You for waiting for us. Please help us be patient as we also wait.
1 comment:
Waiting... Humm I'm still 'waiting'. This blog brought tears to my eyes. I never thought, 'God existed from the beginning and waited for my birth'. HE waited for me! I'm 'waiting' to be with HIM for some 7+ years. See I died once (brain surgery) and saw Our Blessed Mother! She touched me, ran her fingers thru my hair where they cut into my skull to remove the first tumor, of which I have seven. When I died I saw not only Our Blessed Mother but also my sister (she was strangled) and I know she's 'alive' and is no longer suffering. I pray every night, "Please Daddy, let 'it' be tonight". I've suffered long enough thru two brain surgeries, sever grand mull seizures, blindness, the loss of my family... Needed to hear God will continue to 'wait' so as long as He can 'wait' I know I as well can/will 'wait'.
"Pray for Peace"
Cindy Shepherd, a shepherd girl in Bethlehem
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