Worth Waiting For…

Anticipation.

As we started a sermon series this past weekend on the return of Christ and the end times, I found myself pondering what things I find myself waiting for. Sure there are plenty of “waiting” times… waiting in line… waiting for a phone call… waiting for dinner to be ready or the pot to boil. But I was trying to think of things I await eagerly and with excitement.

One of the best examples I could think of actually occurs quite frequently. It’s a normal Tuesday morning. I’m ready for work… almost. I may still have my lunch to pack or shoes and a coat to put on, but it’s close enough that I add in some quick glances out my front door. The two preschoolers that live next door to me attend preschool at the church where I work. Because I normally go to work around the same time they go to school, most Tuesdays and Thursdays I get the joy of walking to school/work with them and their dad, a teammate at church.

As I make my final preparations to leave for the day, I eagerly await the moment I see the bundles of color and joy come into view. Stepping out on my porch, I never know quite what to expect. Some days it involves joyous screams of “BEKAH!!!” and little feet running up my driveway with hands stretched out for the biggest hug they know how to give. Other times the older one shows me her pretty dress and I get to tell her how beautiful she is or is just buzzing like crazy instead of talking as she shows me her bumble bee umbrella… joy in the midst of rain. The younger one is often distracted by sticks or snow or whatever else in the world may be along our short path to the building… that’s if he’s not falling over. I get to “see how strong” he is as he holds open the door for us at church. I hear about their adventures the day before or the color of the week in preschool. It’s an especially exciting day if I just happen to be wearing that color. I never know what to expect, but it always brings great joy.

And every Tuesday and Thursday I am reminded to also eagerly await another coming. We know it’s going to happen but we don’t know exactly when. We can’t just sit around and do nothing, but we can’t ignore it either. We don’t know exactly what that return of Jesus will be like but we can trust that it will bring us great joy… it’s worth waiting for!