Endurance
by Faith Cummings
Pastor of Women’s, Drive Through Prayer, and Counseling Ministries
being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience
–Colossians 1:11
In the past, when I’ve prayed for God’s power to be active in me, it was not so that I would have great endurance. But waiting out this social distancing in my home alone has greatly changed that perspective. I am now agreeing with Paul’s prayer for endurance.
Whenever something I long for seems to be taking forever, I remember being pregnant with my first child. The nine months seemed like it would never end, even though I could see my abdomen growing almost daily. And though I knew that it would be worth the wait to have the baby in my arms, I think I cried every day of the last two months of waiting.
Oddly enough, this has caused me to ask what it is that I am waiting for during this time. Is it so I can go to the grocery store without my mask and cleaning wipes? Is it so I can get my hair cut or go to the dentist (ugh)? NO! What I can hardly wait for is to return to the relationships I experienced before, the times I can hug my daughter, visit my son and his family, see all the Wednesday morning ladies and entertain my life group in my home. Never before did I recognize my own deep need of community.
This started me meditating on David’s sermon this past Sunday about Jesus’ return. We have waited 2,000 years for Jesus’ soon return. My mother prays daily that God will take her to heaven. A friend feeling sad about the trouble in this world said how much she wished Jesus would return. It feels like He is taking forever.
But what is it that we are really waiting for?
Are we waiting to be united with loved ones? That will bring healing for many sad hearts.
Are we waiting for God to make right all the injustice in this world? That also would heal many hearts.
Are we waiting to see and be in the Presence of the One who loves us more than life itself? That will heal His heart.