They waited. Zechariah and Elizabeth waited for decades to have a child, never relenting in their prayers (Luke 1:13). Anna, the prophetess, endured decades of widowhood waiting for her Messiah. Simeon “waited for the consolation of Israel” when he finally held the baby Jesus in his arms. All of Israel waited and waited through generations of dashed hopes and oppression for One who would rescue them. All of heaven waited patiently for the right time for redemption to come to earth.
We wait. We wait for healing to come, for grief to subside, for relief from relentless anxiety, debilitation depression, and crushing pressure. We wait, teetering between threadbare hope and sinking despair. But still, even in the silence, we wait.
Waiting is an inevitable human malady and a heavenly calling. “Wait on the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Ps 27:14). “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Ps 37:7). “But those who wait on the Lord (who expect, look for, and hope in Him) will gain new strength and renew their power” (Is 40:31 AMP). Waiting takes courage. Waiting requires perseverance. Waiting builds trust.
Christmas is a call to embrace waiting, knowing full well how hard it is to wait, to continue to endure. Yet, even in the pain of waiting, we are imperceptibly strengthened within. Even more, God will answer our prayers, in this world or the next. He will redeem our suffering! The time is coming when “everything sad is going to become untrue” (JRR Tolkien). Therefore, in this Christmas season of joy and sadness, we will wait.
