I don’t like the doctor’s office. Going to the doctor when you are sick is miserable, with all the hacking, sneezing or just sitting there feeling queasy. Taking a well-child is not much better, as you spend the whole time considering whether your child will get sick just for showing up. But beyond the obvious illness or checkup, I just despise having to wait interminably.
Now, we should definitely strive to be patient. But sometimes it seems like there is an expectation that you can be held indefinitely at the doctor’s office. I’ve even heard some people joke about charging the office for the time they lost at work.
But it is made worse because waiting in the doctor’s office is filled with either dread or boredom. There is either a sense of foreboding: “What will the doctor say?” Or there is a sense of anxiousness and annoyance: “I have to get back to work. What a waste of time. I should have brought a book!”
Compare that to the joy of a child at Christmas. The joyful anticipation. The wonder of falling snow that reminds us of past celebrations. The giddiness of looking for the perfect gift, and imagining the gift’s reception. The hope to be found in the message of the birth. The whole season is pregnant with possibility, and the waiting is an integral part.
We’re already preparing for an awesome Christmas at the Mount, full of opportunities to share Christ with those who don’t have him. Operation Christmas Child is a great way to get involved in missions, providing shoebox gifts to many who have no hope of a gift in life. And we are going to be focusing our attention on 10-14 year old boys. This age group is in special need, as they are often left out; so we are going to put our attention to them. Start praying now, asking God to continue to work!
And our Christmas drama Believe is already in rehearsal. People are memorizing lines, planning songs, beginning work on the set and staging. This is more than just a time to highlight our skills as a body. This is an opportunity to share God’s message to the community in a relevant way. Just talking about it here has excited me about the possibilities! But there is still a lot of work to do.
You also must be ready all the time. For the son of Man will come when least expected (Matthew 24:44Matthew 24:44
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
44 Always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.
WP-Bible plugin). Waiting for God, is it like waiting for the doctor, or is it like waiting for Christmas? Is it good anticipation, the kind that runs parallel to hope and expectation? Or is waiting for God to culminate the events of history, all the injustice and pain that we and this sin-corrupted world inflict on each other, like a bitter pill: an anxiety and stress inducing trip to the doctor’s office when we want to be with our family or could be accomplishing something productive at work?
Even for those who look forward to Christ’s return with anticipation and joy, life is hard. It can be difficult to trust in the face of uncertainty – not knowing when things will come to pass. But God assures us with a promise of rest in him if we will patiently wait, with readiness and faithfulness in our actions and words. He is coming back, and will not be one moment later than he has planned.
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