Much of life is just waiting. Waiting for a vacation, a holiday, a get-together, a promotion, a raise. We wait for a spouse, a child, a resolution to a problem. We wait for good health, for greater financial freedom, for a feud to be over. As a doctor’s wife, I spend a good bit of time waiting for my tired husband to finish at work and come home to me. We even stand in our yards and wait for grass to come up or bulbs to send up shoots! We are people who wait. Sometimes what we are waiting for never comes. And sometimes our wait is rewarded with a good outcome.
We just returned from a trip to see our kids and grandkids in New York City. One day we were able to take Miro, our 3-year old grandson, on the C train from Brooklyn to Manhattan to visit the Natural History Museum. He was excited about seeing the whale, the dinosaur bones, and the displays about the moon and planets. We got him dressed in his coat, hat, gloves, and mask and got on the C train. We had twelve-thirteen stops to wait through. At each station, Miro said, “Is this our station?” I would have to count and say, “No, we have ten more stops.” It was hard to wait to see all the wonders he wanted to see! But finally we got to the last stop and the amazing museum.
We are all waiting because it’s Advent. Advent is a time of looking forward to the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. For us, we are waiting for Jesus. We are waiting to celebrate His birth, His choice to come and live with us, His intent to stop the cycle of sin and shame and death for us all. He is coming to save us! And we are waiting. . .
But in another sense we are waiting not just in hope but in certainty. We KNOW that He has already come to set all of life right. We don’t have too long for Him in anxiety. Instead we wait in certainty of His love for us, His plan for us, and His grace that is enough to cover us. It’s worth the waiting. We are sure of His arrival, and we prepare to welcome Him.