On Waiting

Probably most people who read this know that J and I have been waiting for many years now for the gift of a child. Before you give advise on what we should be doing/eating/praying/thinking and how to relax, trust me when I say - I've heard it all and tried most. But today I'm not going to discuss the pain of waiting, instead I'd like to discuss the hope of waiting with my Lord beside me.

I recently read an article in Today's Christian Woman. There are times when I really like this magazine - and times when I think it's a bit too soft. There was an article in this past one all about waiting and how hard it is sometimes. Whether you are waiting for a husband, healing, life circumstances to change or a baby, the article spoke to each situation.

I thought the most profound part of the article was the way she compared waiting for something in this life to Mary and Martha waiting for Jesus to come and heal Lazerus. So using some scripture (from John chapter 11) I'll summerize here what was so interesting about this particular waiting period.

Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, and yet he stayed where he was for two days - " 4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

When Jesus got to the family, he found that Lazarus had already been dead - DEAD - for four days. Martha, one of Lazarus' sisters told Jesus that had he been there, Lazarus would not have died. She was frustrated that she had to wait on him, and she met him outside of the village to tell him so. Mary also came to Jesus weeping over the loss of her brother, and here's the thing - verse 35 says: "Jesus wept." He wasn't trying to punish the sisters or trying to work on the sin in their lives, he comforted them in their pain and wept beside them. He too felt the loss of Lazarus and the pain they experienced, and wept beside them. He KNEW that he would shortly be raising Lazarus from the dead and yet he took time to comfort and mourn for what these women felt, knowing fully that his glory was about to be revealed.

I believe that God doesn't punish us by not bringing us our hearts desires or making us wait. I think sometimes there are things we need to work out or change - but not always. Sometimes it's life circumstances, sometimes He's waiting to reveal His GLORY - and always He's feeling your pain right along side you. He knows what is coming for you - what blessings he has in store, and how His GLORY will be revealed in you and yet he weeps along side you.

Here's the kicker - Lazarus didn't stay dead...that is good news indeed.

43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."