Waiting: Waiting For Life To Reveal Itself  

By Janina Gomes  

Waiting: Waiting For Life To Reveal Itself  

Nothing worthwhile in life is sudden. As a poet said, we wait for birth. We wait for love. We wait for life to reveal its meaning to us year after year, experience by experience.

Waiting is the law of life and the measure of love . 'Waiting' is a common Biblical theme. Simeon, who was waiting for Israel to be saved, and the prophet Anna, both find a lifetime of waiting for the Messiah worthwhile when Jesus is presented to them in the Temple.

There are also two beautiful parables in the New Testament that illustrate the importance of waiting for those on the spiritual path. One is the popular parable of the ' Prodigal Son '. The other, the parable of the Ten Virgins . In the parable of the Prodigal Son, a son claims his share in the family inheritance and leaves home, only to squander all his wealth in a far away country.

In penury, he comes to his senses and returns in repentance. His father sees him coming from afar and runs out to welcome him with open arms. Jesus told this parable to portray God, the heavenly Father, as one who waits in love, openness and patience for us to return to Him from our sinful ways.

In the second parable, 10 virgins await a bridegroom's arrival. Five of them have oil in their lamps and so wait in readiness. The other five foolishly burn out their oil. When the bridegroom arrives at an unexpected hour, the wise virgins join him for the marriage feast while the five foolish ones are left in the dark. This shows that God can come to us any time, so we must wait for Him in readiness.

Waiting is a process that teaches patience and detachment by creating a distance between our desires and circumstances. In this world of instant communication and consumerism, we believe that all our wants and longings can be fulfilled instantly. This leads to impatience and grasping. But Nature makes us wait for happenings and results.

Even everyday experiences make us realise that we cannot push nature, experiences and people and have to wait for them to reveal their deeper meanings and inner selves. Waiting brings us closer to God and Nature. The birth of a child is a good example of this. Carrying the child patiently for nine months in her womb is what makes the moment of birth so miraculous for the mother.

Also, waiting can help us give birth to the vast potential that lies dormant within us, since the nobler qualities of life can only be developed over a period of time through careful nursing and stewardship. A proclivity towards haste and quick accomplishment comes naturally to most of us. But most goals can only be achieved through determined effort and patience.

In our haste to force the pace of events, we sometimes use shortcuts. When the temptation to do so seizes us, we must remember this universe, and the fact that its creation took billions of years. Nothing of lasting value can be accomplished in a frenzy.

A liturgical commentary says: "God is not an impatient magician, but a gardener. He does not tug at flowers to make them grow. He knows that nothing matures by some miraculous single stroke. Everything comes to us through patient waiting".

Waiting teaches us that not all of life can be put into the straitjacket of problem solving and overcoming difficulties. Many of our deepest human experiences, whether they be of love or relationships, remain in the realm of mystery. Waiting is a spiritual experience, sometimes of darkness and sometimes of light.

In moving and finding our way and keeping hope alive, we arrive at the final truth that underlies all existence and human experience, and which is the vision of God.

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More from same author see: Janina Gomes  

See also: Waiting, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)