There’s a lot of waiting and anticipating going on at church right now… we are waiting for one member’s baby (currently affectionately known as ‘Bump’) to arrive and are also counting down the days to the first wedding blessing to be held in the new building in December.
Waiting is not always easy: in fact, my favourite quote on this topic comes from a Michael Card song which says ‘It’s certain that waiting is the most bitter lesson a believing heart has to learn.’ (Maranatha) Nonetheless, if waiting is linked to anticipating, there is often hope which keeps us going in the ‘in-between’ period, in the ‘now and not yet’ stage.
We’re also (dare I mention it?) on the countdown to Christmas, another period of waiting and anticipating. One of the challenges for us as Christians is to enter the period of Advent with anticipation in our hearts, not the jaded tiredness that is weary of the commercialism or clutter of the season, but the child-like faith that looks ahead with joy and hope.
Whatever we are waiting for, may we do so with hope and steadfast patience, knowing that “hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:24-25)