Waiting with Patience
“How do we wait for God? We wait with patience. But patience does not mean passivity. Waiting patiently is not like waiting for the bus to come, the rain to stop, or the sun to rise. It is an active waiting in which we live the present moment to the full in order to find there the signs of the One we are waiting for.
The word patience comes from the Latin verb patior which means ‘to suffer.’ Waiting patiently is suffering through the present moment, tasting it to the full, and letting the seeds that are sown in the ground on which we stand grow into strong plants. Waiting patiently always means paying attention to what is happening right before our eyes and seeing there the first rays of God’s glorious coming.”
- Bread for the Journey (Nouwen)
O, heart! How you struggle so to wait upon your God!
Waiting is hard. I know. Waiting takes time. Sometimes we know how much time is required, and other times we do not. Either way, it’s hard; so very hard.
And yet, hark ye! Waiting provides a rich opportunity, a blessed landscape, for practicing patience, yes? In waiting upon our Beloved God, we are allowed to respond in love, through patience; by suffering through our current circumstances! Look, beloved! Don’t you see?
O, beloved! Thankfully, we don’t have to sit idle, wallowing in misery any longer. We have work to do! We have the present moment to contend with, aye!
And so, let us taste it fully. Let us roam about it, with eyes wide open. Let us explore it’s every nook and cranny so we don’t miss any minute detail. This waiting, this opportune patience, this blessed suffering, it’s intentional. It’s purposeful. It’s active. It’s progressive!
Be at peace, beloved. Remain vigilant. Wait expectantly. Eagerly, we await His Advent!