We were their only grandchildren. My sisters and I were the brightest spots in Mimi’s and PawPaw’s lives. Every Christmas morning, they would rise long before dawn, dress as if they were going to church, and drive over to our house and wait. They waited in their car for us to wake up and demand to see what Santa had put under the Christmas tree. My parents would signal with the porch light that the fun was about to begin and Mimi’s and PawPaw’s wait was over.
The ability to wait is an important skill. Life is full of waiting. Waiting for that first shiny new bike. Waiting to graduate and move out of the house. Waiting for the boyfriend to become the fiancé. Waiting for the baby to be born. Waiting for the promotion. Waiting for the diagnosis. Waiting for the cure.
Waiting is at least as old as the stories in the Bible. Elizabeth waited (not very patiently) to become pregnant. The Jews waited for (and then whined about) release from captivity. Mary waited for her special baby. Jesus waited for His time.
God was always there waiting with the people. God still is today. This time of year, we celebrate the birth of that long-waited-for baby with the assurance that God waits with us for the next chapter in our own stories. In the cloud, in the fire, in the angel Gabriel, and in the porch light, God is there.
Lord of Presence:
Thank you for guidance, companionship and patience.
Amen
