The Season of Waiting Is Coming
Dear Friends of Hilton Baptist Church,
Recently I spent the day at my parent’s house in Newfane. As it was getting close to dinner we decided to order some food from a nearby sub shop. We placed the order and were told it would be ready in twenty-five minutes. When the appropriate amount of time had passed my brother and I drove to pick up our dinner.
Upon our arrival the teenager at the register took our money and told us the food would be ready in a few minutes. While we waited my brother and I talked about current events in our lives.
We watched as others came in the door and picked up their orders, while we continued to wait for ours. My patience grew thin as the few minutes that was promised to us turned to 5-10-15 minutes. I watched as the teenager walked to the back and said something to the guy making the food. He glanced at a food ticket in front of him and quickly made some subs. Would you like to guess to whom they belonged?
I’d like to think I am a fairly patient person but sometimes I become impatient when I must wait. I don’t like waiting in lines, I don’t like waiting on hold when making a phone call, I don’t like waiting when I am told something will be ready at a certain time and it’s not. Sometimes I simply don’t like waiting. I am thankful my brother was with me because he helped me to keep my cool and we were able to spend some “bro-time” together catching up.
I share this story with you because we are soon entering a season of imposed waiting. From waiting for the “big” things such as Thanksgiving and Christmas Day to waiting for the “little” things such as the turkey coming out of the oven or packages to arrive. We will wait in lines and we will wait for family to arrive.
Some of this waiting will cause both moments of anticipated joy and moments of impatience. My suggestion is this… take the moments of waiting as a gift. A gift of time to slow down, a gift of time to listen, a gift of time to be still in a season that only picks up speed each day.
Waiting at the sub shop was a gift of time with my brother. Had the food been ready when we arrived we would have rushed home and filled our bellies. Instead we were able take the time to catch up with each other. We do not see each other as much as we like and waiting gave us the opportunity to connect as brothers again, if only for a brief fifteen minutes.
The turkey and the pumpkin pie are coming. Santa, the Christmas tree and Candlelight Service are coming. The season of waiting is coming. It will be here before we know it. When those moments of imposed waiting arrive, take a deep breath say a little prayer and ask “Lord, what is the gift you are giving me in this moment?”
Who knows, it might be the best gift you receive all season.
Much peace to you, Dan
Categories: Pastors Message