Tuesday, March 08, 2005
hopeful. eager anticipation for future good...
this morning, the train was late... again. this is not uncommon, but as i stood on the platform, watching for the train, and watching people watch for the train, i was struck by the visual image i encountered... people of all different backgrounds, ages, etc. stretching their necks and directing their eyes towards the same direction... eagerly waiting for the arrival of the purple line train. it wasn't that there was no other train available... this station served two other lines. people opted to wait for the express purple line train while 3-5 red line trains passed by.
that visual made me think of how the Jews must have waited in eager anticipation for their messiah... and how we ought to wait in eager anticipation for Jesus' return. yet so often, we eagerly await a plethora of things rather than the one on which we should set our hopes. and no wonder we are disappointed.
there was one day when i was a bit late (as usual) and as i approached the platform, i followed a crowd of people boarding a the train, not realizing that i was on the red line instead of the purple. it was too late for me to exit, so i rode the long ride into town that day. the careless "hop" onto that train was a definite detour. eventually, was able to get off the red line and reboard the purple line, but the long stretch that the purple line express skipped i had to endure on the red line.
this makes me think of a friend of mine who God has placed into my life recently... the verse "the Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" 2 peter 3:9. i know this is not really like waiting for the train, but for some reason, as the train arrived, that's the verse (or the gist of that verse) came through my mind... and i remembered also that its been a while since i've blogged. i've been praying for this friend, waiting for her to wake up from the life that she currently lives and it breaks my heart. i know i don't love her nearly as much as God does... and i know that the things i've longed for or waited for, as much as it is difficult for me to wait, is nothing compared to the patience that God takes with us. He really is amazing, isn't He?
i'm also thankful that despite all of the changes in my life, i have had a bout of hope... the possibilities of teaching, or going back to grad school or whatevers has just made me so excited to be alive... and excited to see where God will lead next. i'm just trying my best to stay faithful where i am and not worry too far down the road. i'm confident that He has it all under His control and in His hands... and that truly has been comforting. its not like my life is soooo dramatically different than last year, its just His grace in granting me this perspective, and just trying to the best of my ability to live in obedience. for some reason, the verse that it makes me think of is gen 4:6-7 "then the LORD said to cain, 'why are you angry? and why has your countenance fallen? if you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? and if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.'" as simple as it is... it is so difficult to live. i hope for my friend that she would find that truth to be the answer as well.
... today, i'm thankful for God's goodness... that in it, we can find hope, and that in the simplicity of obedience, God graciously allows us to feel a peace that affirms to our hearts that He is pleased.
this morning, the train was late... again. this is not uncommon, but as i stood on the platform, watching for the train, and watching people watch for the train, i was struck by the visual image i encountered... people of all different backgrounds, ages, etc. stretching their necks and directing their eyes towards the same direction... eagerly waiting for the arrival of the purple line train. it wasn't that there was no other train available... this station served two other lines. people opted to wait for the express purple line train while 3-5 red line trains passed by.
that visual made me think of how the Jews must have waited in eager anticipation for their messiah... and how we ought to wait in eager anticipation for Jesus' return. yet so often, we eagerly await a plethora of things rather than the one on which we should set our hopes. and no wonder we are disappointed.
there was one day when i was a bit late (as usual) and as i approached the platform, i followed a crowd of people boarding a the train, not realizing that i was on the red line instead of the purple. it was too late for me to exit, so i rode the long ride into town that day. the careless "hop" onto that train was a definite detour. eventually, was able to get off the red line and reboard the purple line, but the long stretch that the purple line express skipped i had to endure on the red line.
this makes me think of a friend of mine who God has placed into my life recently... the verse "the Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" 2 peter 3:9. i know this is not really like waiting for the train, but for some reason, as the train arrived, that's the verse (or the gist of that verse) came through my mind... and i remembered also that its been a while since i've blogged. i've been praying for this friend, waiting for her to wake up from the life that she currently lives and it breaks my heart. i know i don't love her nearly as much as God does... and i know that the things i've longed for or waited for, as much as it is difficult for me to wait, is nothing compared to the patience that God takes with us. He really is amazing, isn't He?
i'm also thankful that despite all of the changes in my life, i have had a bout of hope... the possibilities of teaching, or going back to grad school or whatevers has just made me so excited to be alive... and excited to see where God will lead next. i'm just trying my best to stay faithful where i am and not worry too far down the road. i'm confident that He has it all under His control and in His hands... and that truly has been comforting. its not like my life is soooo dramatically different than last year, its just His grace in granting me this perspective, and just trying to the best of my ability to live in obedience. for some reason, the verse that it makes me think of is gen 4:6-7 "then the LORD said to cain, 'why are you angry? and why has your countenance fallen? if you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? and if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.'" as simple as it is... it is so difficult to live. i hope for my friend that she would find that truth to be the answer as well.
... today, i'm thankful for God's goodness... that in it, we can find hope, and that in the simplicity of obedience, God graciously allows us to feel a peace that affirms to our hearts that He is pleased.
Comments:
Post a Comment
