Good morning…
It seems to me, grey is the color of waiting. Not old, not new. Not now, not yet. No agenda, no time frame. No end of the tunnel, no finish line in sight. I think back to my most fertile times of waiting, when new life was gestating inside my womb, out of my sight, expanding me uncomfortably. At least during pregnancy, we are given a tentative due date and books chronicling the fetal development our eyes cannot see. Now it seems we are all trapped in a time warp, a tedious time warp, wallpapered in grey.
In the midst of our relentless not knowing, not knowing how and when this oppressive waiting will release us, we are quietly expanding into what comes next. May we find our hope buoyed by Romans 8:20-28, experienced here in The Message translation.
I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.
All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Here is the hope gestating us gently: every detail of our lives of love for God is being worked into something good. We were saved by this hope, but in our moments of impatience let us remember that hope always means waiting for something that we haven’t yet got. But if we hope for something we cannot see, then we must settle down to wait for it in patience (Romans 8:24-25, PHILLIPS).
Like me, are you tired of waiting? We are placing our hope in Something we cannot see. Join me as we settle down in these present hard times, waiting with God in patience. From this settled down, centered place, touch on the link below and sense more keenly the tender touch of the God who is in the process of making everything new.
…Sue…
P.S. After writing in the middle of the night, going back to sleep, and waking again to start my day, I open Biblegateway.com to sense God whisper, “Amen.” Not coincidentally, the verse of the day is this 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV). 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. I think, “Everyone coming to repentance is certainly worth our wait.”
P.S.S. If you are looking for a worship experience this Sabbath morn, join us online at Northside Church.
8:30AM · Traditional Worship
9:45AM · Contemporary Worship
11:00AM · Traditional Worship
Join us via Facebook or our website. Public worship is suspended through at least July 31.
