Waiting is so hard!

Waiting is so hard, and I am not good at it! A few days ago, our family welcomed our newest granddaughter, Annabelle Rose. Seeing her for the first time filled us with awe. The birth of a child is such an incredible display of the power, glory and creativity of our God! But waiting for her arrival, I had been growing more and more tense, like a runner poised at the starting line waiting for the gun. This was child number four for my daughter, and each delivery had been a little quicker than the one before. I was concerned whether she would make it to the hospital on time, and whether her husband (whose job requires him to travel most weekends) would be there for her. She had never made it to her projected due dates before, and one child had arrived three weeks early! Now we were approaching week 39 (a new record!), and Braxton Hicks contractions (also known as “practice contractions”) were occurring more and more frequently. I kept my cell phone in my pocket, suitcases packed and in the car (which was full of gas!) and, sometimes I went to bed fully dressed. I had worked out the scenario in my head a dozen times. The call would come, I would jump in the car and race to her house to calmly (yeah, right!) take care of the other children while her husband drove her to the hospital. Knowing things rarely happen as they are planned, I leaned on prayer partners and tried every day to trust in God’s perfect timing.
Waiting is so hard, especially when we are waiting for something we really want. We had been so excited at the thought of having another grandchild. It never gets old! Like the saying goes, “if I’d known how much fun my grandkids would be, I would have had them first!” As Christians, we often have to struggle with waiting for God’s answer to our most heartfelt prayers. We don’t always understand His timing. Our deepest hope and greatest anticipation is for the return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Zechariah 14 tells us that He will stand on the Mount of Olives and inaugurate His promised kingdom, bringing peace and healing to the nations of the earth. Hopefully, we desire His kingdom above all else (Matt. 6:33). The Bible uses the analogy of birth on numerous occasions in reference to this time. “…creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ….the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Romans 8:21-22). “Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she gave birth to her children…Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream….on her sides shall you be carried, and be dandled on her knees, as one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you…” (Isaiah: 66:8, 12-13).
Waiting is hard, especially when the wait seems to go on and on. Sometimes I got a little weary of being constantly ready and tried to convince myself there was plenty of time. The Apostle Paul warned “for when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman…..but you, brethren, are not in darkness so that this Day should overtake you as a thief….let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be self-controlled” (I Thessalonians 5:3-6). I am reminded of the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25. It is sobering to read that they all slept, but at least five of them slept with their clothes on, figuratively speaking, and their lamps full of oil, knowing the time of the Bridegroom’s coming was near. We are warned that there would be scoffers who would say, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (II Peter 3:4). Judging by what they could see, nothing was any different than the day before. Jesus said we would not know the day or the hour when He would return (Matt. 24:42,) but He also said “…when you see all these things (referring to the signs mentioned earlier in the chapter) know that it is near, at the very doors…” (Matthew 24:33).
Waiting is hard when there is pain and discomfort. The hardest part of the waiting for me was seeing my daughter so uncomfortable. And I knew it was going to get worse before it got better. “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come, but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (John 16:21). What a perfect analogy for the end time. We live in a world that is filled with pain and sorrow, with wars and natural disasters escalating. Scripture indicates it will get worse before it gets better. However, a time of refreshing, restoration and healing is promised at the return of Christ (Acts 3:20-21). And, ultimately, “according to His promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Cor. 2:9).
The waiting is over for our granddaughter. Every prayer was answered, God’s timing was perfect. It always is. May He grant us the grace to remain faithful while we wait on Him. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him….those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth” (Psalm 37:7,9).