Wait
My fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly as the icy, blinding snow pelted down on my front windshield. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, I could barely see the car twenty feet in front of me on I-95. The windshield wipers chattered noisily, defiantly reminding me once again that they needed replacing. When my car swerved violently to the right, I decided that was the last sign I needed. I made the decision to pull my car over and wait the storm out.
Pulling over wasn’t an option for Mary, the mother of Jesus. I wonder how she felt as a pregnant teenager, soon to give birth, traveling almost 80 miles to Joseph’s hometown of Bethlehem. Her journey must have been filled with discomfort and anxiety. Perhaps she even felt in danger as they traveled through Samaria, a land filled with people who despised the Jews.
The journey through 2020 for all of us has been quite a ride. The pandemic ushered in unforeseen danger and fear. Social isolation led to depression and loneliness. Financial strain and collapse drove many to despair. Social injustice and political differences divided our nation, bringing hatred and violence. Worst of all, the death toll continues to rise. The winds are fierce! But we can’t pull over and wait out the storm. Or can we?
Perhaps we can. In Psalm 131, King David proclaims, “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forever more.”
Although Mary’s journey to Bethlehem was difficult, I’m sure she found great comfort along the way in the hope that lay ahead. The angel Gabriel told her the babe she gave birth to would reign over a kingdom without an end! This Christmas, our celebration of Christ’s birth must embrace that same promise. This year we must, like Mary, wait for the fulfillment of His Word to us. Despite the storms we see around us and what we experience, we must believe nothing is impossible with God! His kingdom will reign forever, but He calls us to wait for it.
At this hour, we need to pull over to calm and quiet our souls. He wants us weaned from false comforts which are only temporary solutions. It’s our pride that forces us to keep driving through the storm. Our haughty need to be in control ignores His calling to wait. It’s our fear that demands to understand God’s ways, even when He tells us His ways are higher. If you’re veering off His path of peace, see it as a sign. It’s time to stop. In the waiting, your heart will make a u-turn. You will experience the Bethlehem of your soul, the great birthing of hope for a kingdom that will never end. Your strength will be renewed as you wait on the Lord. This Christmas will you calm and quiet your soul? Put your hope in the Lord, now and forever more!
