waiting

I am not a very good waiter. Well, actually when I worked in a restaurant, I considered myself a very good waiter, but what I'm saying here is that I'm not very good at waiting.

In line at the grocery store.
In traffic at the Wallace Tunnel.
In the waiting room(s) at the Doctor's office.
For a phone call/E-mail response.

I'm just bad at it. I have very little patience. I imagine that if I was in the position of a first generation disciple, I'd be especially bad at waiting for Jesus to return. Life was pretty tough for those first disciples. The Jewish leadership didn't like that they were shaking up the status quo. The Romans didn't like that they were confessing someone other than Caesar as Lord. It was all a rather big mess, and the best way out, it seemed, was for Jesus to come back and make it all OK.

And so they waited... and waited... and waited... and they died... still waiting...and 2000 years later we are still waiting.

In all of my waiting examples above, I'm being asked to wait without anything to do. In our waiting for Jesus, on the other hand, there is plenty to do to keep busy. Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel should keep us busy for at least a week or to.

So today, as I think about waiting, I'm thankful that there is plenty to do in the meantime. Still, maranatha seems an appropriate prayer this Advent. Lord Jesus, come soon.