Eager Longing

"We told Abi that you were coming and now she’s waiting for you”  That was the text and this is the picture I received from my daughter a couple of months ago.  Of course the photo and text melted my heart – this grandpa is gladly wrapped around the fingers of his grandchildren!  But the photo reminded me of myself when I was a child.

MY Grandmother lived in Nebraska which, to this California boy, seemed like a faraway land.  When I knew that grandma was coming to visit you could find me at the window eagerly looking for her!

This stance of eager anticipation is the posture of many children waiting for Christmas – not looking out the window, but peering at all of the gifts under the tree . . . or glued to the commercials about toys . . . or drawn to the displays at the department stores.   For the young among us, Christmas CANNOT get here fast enough!!

We who believe Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to die for our sins and rise for our eternal life, also believe the Father will send Him back at the divinely appointed time.   We join with the Church of all time and all places in praying “Come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:20

 

This simple prayer is a prayer of longing and a prayer of hope.  All of us are encouraged and empowered by the Spirit to pray this simple prayer . . . while looking out the window!   Why the anticipation?  Why the prayer?  Because all of us suffer pain to some degree – pain in the body and pain in the soul.  Paul tells us:  “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.” Romans 8:18-19   This is Paul‘s fancy way of describing the resurrection of the dead.

 

Christ will return and the dead will be raised imperishable.  Pain and sorrow and death will be defeated and we will be like Christ.  This is the hope we possess by virtue of our faith.  This is why we have such an eager longing for Jesus to return.   The Father and the Spirit speak to Jesus saying, “We told (insert your name here) that You were coming, and he’s/she’s waiting for You!” 

Come, Lord Jesus!