Have you ever lost patience in waiting for something? A bride waiting for her wedding day, a new mom waiting to give birth to her child, a new graduate waiting on the perfect job, or a student waiting to find out if they passed their test. Have these life events or others made you feel like you may lose your mind while waiting for the outcome? The virtue of patience is not mastered by all, but if you do master it, you find that there can be beauty in the waiting.
Today, the Gospel of Mark reminds us how beautiful the waiting can be. Think back to the Advent season every year. Christians around the world spend four weeks preparing and waiting for the birth of our Savior, and how beautiful that gift was to the world when it happened. Today, Mark advises us to watch, listen, and wait for change and respond when we recognize the change. The image that Mark uses is a Fig Tree. You may look at the Gospel reading and wonder why it is so dramatic? If you understand the meaning behind the words, it makes the Kingdom of God closer to us than ever before. God bound each and everyone of us to His grace and plan and gives power to Christ to tell us that the Kingdom of God is here and now. However, all of us have a free choice on whether or not to respond to it. Even though we cannot know the time or place of Jesus’ second coming, we can live out God’s plan in the waiting and in turn bring beauty to others and the world.
We do this by prayer, caring for others on an intimate level, bringing glory to God by how we live our lives, and letting humility, love, grace, and kindness shine through our words and deeds. When we live a life that is devoted to Christ, our world and the world around us becomes a more beautiful place to be.
So next time you find yourself frustrated in the waiting, take a step back and recognize the beauty that surrounds you in the waiting, and the beauty that comes after the waiting.
Jesus, I pray for a heart that trusts you every circumstance. Help me trust you while I wait for ___________ (your petition) and with the grace that saved me at the cross, I pray that same grace sustains me today and every day.
-In Jesus’ name.
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