During this pandemic people have done a lot of waiting. Waiting to see if the virus was going to arrive in their community. Waiting to see if there would be enough ventilators. Waiting to see when the government was going to shut everything down. Waiting for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and yeast to be restocked. Waiting to see when business would reopen. Waiting to see when tests would be available. Waiting for the test results. Waiting for a stimulus check. Waiting for a vaccine and an effective treatment.
All of this waiting has really tried our patience. In our modern world where we have grown accustom to having almost everything we want instantaneously available to us, waiting has become especially difficult. And a lot of what we are waiting for during this crisis does not seem as if it is going to be resolved anytime soon. So, what do we do in the meantime? The choices we make while we wait will most likely impact the rest of our lives.
As Christians, we are no strangers to waiting; we have been waiting for Christ’s return for 2,000 years. It has not been easy to wait that long for something – even if it is the most important event in the history of the world. In the meantime, we are called to continue to not give up hope, to live lives of faith, and to make choices that will prepare us for His return. “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief…. [So] what sort of people ought you to be? You must live holy and godly lives, waiting for and hastening the coming day of God” (2 Peter 3:10-12). While we wait for Jesus’ return, may we make good choices with how we live our lives!