A Thought: Waiting

Last night we were running about town and once again my wonderful children got me and my wife to get them some ice-cream. They are such good negotiators, but they were having a hard time waiting to get it. “When are we getting the ice-cream? Is this the last stop?” When you know that a good thing is coming it can be hard to wait. I would imagine that the people of the Old Testament were feeling that way. They were told that a savior, a great king was coming, and they waited and waited and waited. Its hard to understand God sometimes just like I am sure that it is hard for my children to understand why they had to wait for ice-cream. For them it was simple, they were in a car that could get to the ice-cream place and they wanted it so why not go from point A to point B and get it done. They didn’t understand that Mommy and Daddy had things to get done along the way that were just as important. Whenever I get frustrated cause my requests from God go unanswered I think of my children and the lessons that I try and teach them about waiting. Perhaps God has somethings that he wants me to get done on the way to getting what I want that are more important. Perhaps what I am asking for isn’t good for me at all. This is where patience, prayer and reflection come in. The world is a tricky place as they say, “Be careful what you wish for.” As frustrated as I get sometimes I do feel lucky to be where I am and who I am. I am glad that I came after Jesus. I would have loved to have met him personally but I am glad that I have the benefit of his teachings so readily available. I think about how my life would be without knowing how to love. I remember the days of wanting everything to be fair and if I was wronged then revenge was in order and justified. Problem was it only created more strife and more pain. Resolution was rarely found. Peace was so hard to attain if ever at all. Once I learned to love and with that forgiveness and repentance to others and God I found a much more peaceful life. I am by no means perfect or better than anyone else but I am thankful that I have a discipline to follow that teaches me how to find and create peace. I encourage you to do the same. Take some time and open your eyes to Jesus’s teachings. Listen to what he has to say. Even try and put it into practice. If you have questions, ask, pray and reach out to other Christians (going to Church helps). Know though that God loves you and sent his son with the lessons of a lifetime.

Matthew 13:16-17

16But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.