Waiting. I despise waiting…for the most part.
When grocery shopping with Jo, we invariably find ourselves in a line where the people ahead of us have a cart full of stuff, we maybe have 2 or 3 things, and they not only don’t offer us the opportunity to go ahead, but they end up being chatty-Cathy’s who do nothing but jibber jabber. (Can you tell how patient I am?) 🙂
I live in a small town (Yay!) where traffic jams are almost non-existent (school being dismissed the same time some businesses dismiss is an exception). But I have been in bigger cities where it seems they ought to have signs posted: “Caution! 24 hour traffic jam ahead.” I suspect we have all been in traffic jams on an Interstate. Yeah, fun times.
But waiting also has its advantages. “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.” (Is. 40:31). “Be still (wait) and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10). “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me.” (Ps. 40:1) So waiting has its advantages.
There is one more. Joseph Stowell, former president of Moody Bible Institute, tells the story of a friend, Ben Wood, who founded Shepherds Home in Wisconsin for boys and girls with developmental disabilities. One time he asked Joe if he knew what the biggest maintenance problem at Shepherds was.
Joe: “No.”
Ben: “Dirty windows. Our kids press their hands and faces against the windows because they’re looking to the sky to see if today might be the day that Jesus will return for them and take them to His home where they will be healed and complete.” (Story in Shepherding the Shepherd-Vol. 2- Lee Eclov-p.50)
We all need to be window watchers patiently waiting for Jesus to return. Now THAT will make waiting worthwhile!
Worthwhile waiting, indeed, Bill. What a great story you’ve told here, one that I’ll remember for a long time to come. In the meantime, may we practice patience in the waiting. Blessings!
Thanks Martha. I do consider waiting for Jesus to come a worthwhile wait over and over no matter how long.
I love the story, Bill. We should all be so diligent and excited each day to believe today is the day the Lord will return. To often admittedly, I have a passive idleness, instead of a hopeful state of preparation for the Lords return. I want the thought of Jesus’s return in the forefront and not in the background, I look forward to the day, but does my posture reflect that in my daily walk.
Like you Gail, I find myself from time to time in passive idleness. I know He will return but it doesn’t ignite the passion it should. I pray I will have fingerprints on the window of my soul as I wait in anticipation.
Wow! It gave me chills when I read why the windows needed constant cleaning! Oh, that our windows were so smudged from our vigil to catch a glimpse of Jesus coming that they needed to be cleaned everyday! Thanks for sharing this, Bill!
That was quite an incredible story wasn’t it Pam? And I agree with you: may our windows be smudged with anticipation.