I was tired and exhausted following four days of General Board sessions in Elgin. As my plane touched down in Harrisburg on the return flight to Pennsylvania, I observed with interest many of the people waiting in the terminal: Elderly couples longing anxiously to be reunited with not-too-often-seen sons or daughters young mothers with small children straining to see if daddy was among the disboarding passengers obvious lovers with anticipatory gleams in their eyes wives of businessmen wearing hopeful expressions.
As I scanned the crowd there in the terminal, it occurred to me that life is like that: Awaiting a phone call from that “special someone” – anticipating the first day of school – coveting a time of reconciliation following a misunderstanding or disagreement -waiting nine months for the birth of a child, and hoping everything will be all right -sitting on pins and needles until the report card is received – thinking your turn in the doctor’s off ice will never come -counting the days until marriage – nursing a yen to be reunited with a loved one – longing for the time when junior’s teething will be past – waiting for a fish to bite – thinking the magical driving age of sixteen will never come yearning to hear baby’s first word – sitting tight until the results of a medical test are received – longing to go Home in the pain of old age.
But even more importantly, believers need to wait and long – they need to stand on their tiptoes – in anticipation for the return of Jesus, at which time our faith and hope will become reality. Apostle Paul expresses it well: “We are saved by trusting. And trusting means looking forward to getting something we don’t yet have – for a man who already has something doesn’t need to hope and trust that he will get it. But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently” (Romans 8:24-25/ Living Bible).
Waiting patiently is often the highest way of doing God’s will!
January/February 1985
