Saturday, December 5, 2020
WAITING AROUND
SCRIPTURE: Nonetheless, the Lord is waiting to be merciful to you, and will rise up to show you compassion. The Lord is a God of justice; happy are all who wait for him. Isaiah 30:18 (CEB)
Waiting for COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted so I can spend more than a half an hour with my mother. . .
Waiting for a cure for coronavirus, cancer, and other devastating illnesses. . .
Waiting for peace in a world riddled with dissension and despair. . .
There are plenty of days where I feel like I’m just waiting around—waiting for things to happen that are not in my control. Some days the issues might be universally perceived-- like the need for a coronavirus vaccine; some days they’re limited to my personal sphere: will the dishwasher repairman ever get here?? Either way, if I’m not careful, I can become focused on what I perceive to be lacking in my life and what’s missing from the moment. I can become fixated on absence rather than abundance.
The reading today from Isaiah is one that makes me smile because it reminds me that you and I aren’t the only ones who wait! God is waiting, too—waiting for me, for you, for all of us—to turn our anxious or dissatisfied selves toward God’s face. God is waiting to shower us with an abundance of comfort that will soothe us in our pain! God is waiting to lavish mercy and tender care upon us in the midst of the chaos and the struggle! God is waiting, to put it simply, to help us in our waiting!
In this season of Advent, as we find ourselves once again waiting with anticipation and hope for the Infant King to be born anew in our hearts, may we remember that God is ready to join us in all of our times of waiting. There is no need for us to ever wait for anything all alone.
PRAYER: Holy God, we thank you that we always have the opportunity to wait in the calm of your presence. Help us to remember to turn to you to find peace in every circumstance. In the name of our Coming King, Amen.
Reverend Erin Maurer
