I’ve been sitting here for the last hour or so, sipping on a strong cup of coffee, reading… and thinking about the thoughts and stories posted here over the last couple of days–by friends.
Most of us have never met each other face to face. Yet here, in thoughts typed thousands of miles apart, we each look at words that make sense, in part, because of the pain and longing of our own lives.
Most of us are waiting for something so important to us that we almost are afraid to hope– for fear of being disappointed. Yet, we wait… in part because we don’t want to miss the miracle of being found– living by faith, today.
We’re not just waiting for Christmas. We’re waiting for God to do something that we can’t do for ourselves or for one another. At the very least– or most– we are waiting for Christ to be formed in us, and in those we love.
The Magi apparently had been waiting. So had Anna and Simeon. Now we wait… because we don’t want to be found not waiting. We don’t want a “no vacancy” sign to be found on the door of our hearts.
We wait because we want to be found believing the one who said, “Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will rise on wings like eagles. They will run and not be weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isa 40:31).
If we could sit about the same coffee shop table this morning, I’m quite sure we would give one another reasons to believe that in waiting there is still hope. In many different ways we’d gently remind each other that– in not waiting there is a lost opportunity… to be found waiting… for the only one who deserves our trust.
And… even without that table… and before our prayers are answered in God’s time and wisdom… am guessing many of us would agree that we are already finding in one another… and in our Lord…what we could never have found… by throwing in the towel.