Worthy of the Wait

“Turn again!” my young daughter exclaimed when she didn’t make her capital letter face the proper direction, yet determined to get it right. She said it enough that it became part of our family lingo for when any of us messed up and needed a second chance. Some families call them “do-overs,” but second (or fifth, or seventh, or sixteenth) chances are worthwhile for kids (and adults!) as they are learning new skills, and they often have to wait for mastery as they practice frequently.

Any parent would agree that it’s worth the time, rewards, and the repetition to have a potty-trained child say goodbye to diapers. Those who value the musical arts would say it’s worth the investment of hours and hearing hundreds of missed notes to see your child confidently play Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag at the piano with a smile spreading across his face and a light in his eye as he turns from the keys. Certainly any tennis coach would value the committed regular practice of players running drills and lofting serves on the courts, knowing that muscle memory develops gradually, yet when the player reaches the tipping point, they are able to make that ace serve fly. (Have you read Malcom Gladwell?)

‍So we learn patience as we invest time and effort and wait to see the fruit of mastery in our kids. Why not with spiritual disciplines? To develop into a person of character and love, it takes consistent training, intentional opportunities to learn, an attitude of humility, and huge amounts of prayer! We invite the Holy Spirit in to teach us how to spend this time while we wait and He directs us to become disciples of Jesus.

This is not unlike the wait devout Israelites were experiencing prior to the Messiah’s coming to earth more than 2000 years ago. They filled their days with work, play, family, friends, and, most of all, worship at the temple. Many expected Messiah to look different than a babe born to a humble young woman visiting her betrothed’s ancestral town and welcomed by lowly shepherds. But if they waited patiently, and continued to stay open to God’s plan, they would later experience the Son of Man spending hours with them, teaching them, healing them, forgiving them, and loving them. God was with them in the form of Jesus.

‍What grace that God gave us His living, breathing, example of how to spend our time and effort while we wait yet again for Christ to come and make all things new! Jesus urged his disciples to stay wise and alert in looking for His second coming as he told the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25 (Living Bible version).

“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2-4 But only five of them were wise enough to fill their lamps with oil, while the other five were foolish and forgot.

5-6 “So, when the bridegroom was delayed, they lay down to rest until midnight, when they were roused by the shout, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come out and welcome him!’

7-8 “All the girls jumped up and trimmed their lamps. Then the five who hadn’t any oil begged the others to share with them, for their lamps were going out.

9 “But the others replied, ‘We haven’t enough. Go instead to the shops and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were gone, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

11 “Later, when the other five returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’

12 “But he called back, ‘Go away! It is too late!’

13 “So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of my return.

So while we wait for Jesus, we should ask the Holy Spirit to help us be wise and teach us how to prepare ourselves and our families. What does that look like? Every day doing a little something to share your faith with your kids. Don’t leave all the lessons for Sunday. Get on a spiritual training regimen that fits you. Need ideas? Ask leaders in our community – there are wise people who are diligent about building their faith muscles who are generous with inspiration.

Is it worth it? you might ask, to which I would say, wholeheartedly, YES! A life forever with God is going to be worth the time, effort and wait. We must not grow weary, for He is the LIGHT of the world, and there’s no greater joy than to share the love of God with your kids and have them take up the flame of faith–alert, active, and waiting for Jesus to come.

“The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.” 

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is In the Manger

He IS worthy! May this song inspire you as you wait expectantly this Advent season: Andrew Peterson - Is He Worthy?

Merry Christmas,

Annikki

‍

Resource on thriving at Christmas: https://connectedfamilies.org/5-ways-to-thrive-this-christmas/

‍

December Epic Kids Unit Verse:

‍

‍