Wait Right Here

Hi there! Today we are meeting up for Day 3 in a four day series of the reading plan, Finding Merry: Experiencing joy this Christmas. When the excitement, the positive vibe, and holiday cheer go missing, we often keep it to ourselves with nowhere to turn, feeling out of step. What do we do when there is just no joy and all we really want for Christmas is for it to go away sooner than later? So far we have discovered together that Jesus offers real solutions to what we lack in this area. Let’s continue on with today’s reading: Wait Right Here.

Read the following verses from James:

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. James 5:10-11

Wait Right Here

Amazon now delivers packages within one or two days. We have grown to expect this sort of expediency. In fact, recently I placed an order that took four days rather than the expected two for delivery. The inhumanity!

Today there are many opportunities NOT to wait for anything. Often restaurants allow you to forego the wait by calling ahead. Groceries are brought to your car with a touch of a button, and dinner is conveniently delivered through a phone app. It’s no wonder we struggle so when life requires patience.

My friend, Jenny, knows this all too well. She lost her mom Thanksgiving Day as a child. After her death, the merry went missing during the holidays for years that followed. Her situation is not uncommon. The pain in loss and suffering tends to be magnified with all the festivities and focus on family during the holidays. Most long for the season to hurry up and go away.

Since childhood, every November has been a similar struggle for my friend, Jenny, until last year when everything changed. That’s when Wesley came into their lives. She and her husband adopted Wesley about the same time they learned they were expecting a biological child. What was once a season of pain and loss has become a picture of restoration, expectancy, and joy.

The space in between pain and restoration is where most of us lose our merry.

We don’t like to wait.

This is where the Word of God is the best remedy for finding joy in any and every circumstance. It meets us where we are, not where we should be or want to be. Yet, it points us in the right direction. The Psalmist preaches to himself in a manner we should imitate.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD! Psalm 27:13-14

If you find yourself somewhere between pain and restoration this season, ask the Lord that you might have eyes to see His goodness. Pray for the ability to wait on His timing. Rely on Him to make you strong and take His courage rather than your own. Instead of burying your head in the pillow hoping the season will quickly pass, focus your eyes on Him and wait.

Go back to the beginning at Day One here.

You can catch Day Two here.

You can also find a version of this plan at www.bible.com or on the free YouVersion app.

with much affection,

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