Waiting...

Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer.  Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you.  Those who walk in the dark do not know where they going."
~ John 12: 35

A final chrysalis remains as a sign of the season that has ended as we await the season of spring to bring things to life once again.  We seem to be in a season of waiting.

Each day I have conversations with hospice patients who seem to be waiting.  Yesterday one of my patients shared that she has nothing to do but to "wait on death to arrive."

In moments like these I try to invite the person to share stories that involve seasons, and hopefully will lead to a place where the person is able to recognize that there have been seasons of "waiting," throughout their whole life.  As a child we "wait for Christmas."  We, "wait for graduation," and later, "that first promotion."  We, "wait for the birth of a child," and then later, "wait till that family vacation."  In the winter we, "wait for the first signs of spring."  In old age, we simply are, "waiting to experience our last breath."

I am reminded that we are invited to live in the moment.  Waiting is learning to trust in the treasure of the moment, which for many, is hidden in the ground on which we stand.

Affirming the present can only become possible when we remember the past and expect more from the future.  Nothing is as difficult as really accepting one's own life.  More often than not, the present is denied, the past becomes a source of wounds, and the future is looked upon as something to avoid, or is looked upon as a reason for despair or apathy.

Jesus came into the world to bring us life and to free us from the boundaries of time.

Through Jesus, we have encountered God in the present.  Through Jesus we have learned that our past does not have to be denied.  Our past can be remembered and we can be forgiven.  In the present we can be waiting for Jesus to return and to reveal to us what yet is to come.

In all our moments, let us stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2019