They had waited SO LONG....

The Promised Messiah; He would come and save them. He was their answer. He would come, wouldn't he? But the nation of Israel waited and waited. They waited some more. No Messiah. Just the same old same old day after day after day. Nothing new. No hope. No light. No Promised One. No Messiah.

What had happened to the Messiah? Were they wrong to believe the ancient prophets of old who foretold this great event? Why in the world was it taking so long, if it really was true? How long o Lord, how long?

Waiting; you see, this is nothing new. So much of our present day life is filled with waiting. Filled with delays. Filled with the exasperation of wondering if that ever-elusive long-awaited event will ever happen?

And then, as soon as it happens, we're on to the next thing. And then the story repeats itself.

One thing that is consistent throughout all time is that too often we are always straining ahead. We're tired of the 'old', so bring in the 'new'.

So often as we strain to look past what we have, we miss what we HAVE. Too often I miss the joy of the anticipation, which is mine to choose over frustration. I often allow myself to become anxious instead of accepting the gift of peace to hold me together calmly as I wait the inevitable 'wait'.

So it was that even when the Messiah arrived as a small Baby Jesus, born to a virgin, Mary, that he was not readily recognized. His appearance and form caught them totally off-guard. They were looking too far ahead; to a grown man, when instead, first they would get to enjoy the gift of a newborn baby to love. A child to grow, to become, to present himself, as the Messiah.

He had come. He was here long before it was confirmed to them. Long before.

So it is with us: our long-awaited joys are here. Right now. Let's not miss them. Let's embrace the wait, because we know that we are not alone. The gift of the Christmas season is the message that God is WITH us.
GOD is with us.
God is with US.

What a true miracle, that God came to earth in the form of a pure and spotless baby, walked on our paths, ate our foods, felt what we feel, touch what touches us, all for love of us. And then he left so that he could send an ever-present Holy Spirit to take up his residence inside us.... So that still, he can walk our paths, eat with us, feel what we feel, touch what touches us, all for love of us.

We need to wait no more....He is here. Our long-awaited Messiah.
Rejoice in Him!
The long wait has ended.

And....we rejoice, because one day: Christ will come again.
And in that blessed hope, we wait.
Embrace the wait.