Waiting in Trust

You might remember comedian Yakov Smirnoff. In one of his routines, he spoke about his initial arrival and adjustment when he first came to the United States from Russia. He was stunned by the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores. He said, “On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk. You just add water, and you get milk. Then I saw powdered orange juice. You just add water, and you get orange juice. And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to myself, “What a country!”

That makes me smile. But it also reminds me that in our culture we are indeed really used to having things immediately, on demand, when we want them.  We like instant gratification, and we are put off when we have to wait on anything!

You may be in a situation where you are having to wait. Perhaps you are waiting for an answer to a prayer, or for a loved one to get well. Maybe you are waiting for a new job, for a child to get her act together, or for clarity on a problem you face.  It is difficult to wait, and yet sometimes we have no choice.

My friend Bob Griffiths recently sent me a quote from the theologian Pierre Teihard de Chardin that has been helpful to me. He wrote, “Above all, trust in the slow work of God. Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.”

Trust the slow work of God. Trust. That is not easy to do, but it is so important.

Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Korean American pastor and writer Joshua Kang makes the claim that patience is a prerequisite for peace. He goes on to write, “People who have patience lack nothing. People who have patience have everything.”

Let us pray: Pour out your Spirit on us again this day, Loving God. Fill our cups to overflowing again with your grace.  It is hard to wait for answers to our prayers, and in our daily struggles we need your strength. We need to be reminded that you are good and that you are with us. Grant us the patience and the courage we need for this day.