“Most of us do not wait well. A checkout line at the grocery store, a registration line at school, a doctor’s appointment, or holiday traffic can quickly make us impatient, uneasy, and irritable. We want things at one and do not like to wait. Further, our culture thrives on instant responses from fast food to computers- we want everything fast. So waiting is often a hard lesson for us to learn. My young grandchildren planted watermelon seeds with the dream of eating their own red, juicy watermelon. Despite frequent reminders that the melons would take eighty days to ripen, the children could not resist picking a couple of melons long before they matured. They were disappointed when the cut melons delivered far less than the taste treat they had dreamed about. As we grow older, we sometimes find waiting easier, but we still want God to respond to our requests with speed and accuracy.
However, deep in our hearts we know that many things cannot be hurried without endangering the results for which we wait. Friendship, character, personal transformation, pregnancy, ripened fruit, and sprouting seeds all take time. Each has its own schedule. While we may encourage a peach to ripen, it still requires a certain number of days on the tree and in the sun. Trying to hasten the process can lead to less than desirable results.
Jesus asked the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promised power to meet all that lay ahead of them as well as an advocate to teach them all that they needed to now. It must have been hard to wait. They were under suspicion by the authorities. They wanted to get on with their lives; and how did they know that waiting would make any difference? The disciples were obedient to the command of Jesus, though, and their obedience was rewarded with power and with a companion.
Almighty God, you have called us, chosen us to be your people. We want now to receive your word of guidance and blessing. Grant unto us ears to hear, eyes to see, and faith to respond to your love and leadership. In the name of Christ. Amen.