Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
You Mean We Have to Wait?
I suppose that God really wants us to practice our skills at waiting right now. We seem to have done a lot of it in the last twelve months.
But waiting has always been a part of our human experience. The letters of Abigail Adams to her husband (and eventually our 2nd President) reveal her many unsettled months of waiting. John was working in the courts in Boston in 1775 as the Revolution was simmering. Abigail wrote:
“Col. Warren returnd last week to Plymouth, so that I shall not hear any thing from you till he goes back again which will not be till the last of nextthis month. He Damp'd my Spirits greatly by telling me that the Court had prolonged your Stay an other month. I was pleasing myself with the thoughts that you would soon be upon your return. Tis in vain to repine. I hope the publick will reap what I sacrifice.”
Our grandparents did some waiting during World War 2 when rationing changed the American way of life. The National Park Service tells us:
“Americans received their first ration cards in May 1942. The first card, War Ration Card Number One, became known as the “Sugar Book,” for one of the commodities Americans could purchase with their ration card. Other ration cards developed as the war progressed. Eventually, the Office of Price Administration rationed automobiles, tires, gasoline, fuel oil, coal, firewood, nylon, silk, and shoes. Americans used their ration cards and stamps to take their meager share of household staples including meat, dairy, coffee, dried fruits, jams, jellies, lard, shortening, and oils.”
The Bible is full of waiting times. The enslavement of Jacob’s children by the Egyptians, the 40 years in the desert, the Babylonian exile, Jonah’s three days in the whale, and Job’s unbearable suffering all took their toll on God’s people. Psalm 27 says: "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." 2 Peter 3 reminds us: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
In Sunday’s First reading, Isaiah speaks of the impact waiting has on our faith. God is not a vending machine that rolls out trinkets on demand. Waiting on the Lord, he tells us, renews our strength; it may even give us time to grow wings and fly like eagles.
So, we continue washing our hands, keeping our distance and wearing our masks. With Abigail Adams, we long to see our loved ones. With our elders in the Greatest Generation we make do with what we have and substitute what we don’t have. Good things are coming to those of us who wait.
Peace,
Mark +
Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
