Waiting is becoming more like Jesus

      
 Last week an old and best friend sent me this simple text message: "Did you know that Jesus had to wait 30 years to start his ministry? He must have been so anxious to save us..."

       The text struck me deep. I sat and re-read it and tried to let the weight of those words really sink into my soul. How thankful I am that my friend sent that text. Little did he know the power those words had in my life. I began to reflect on the first time I had every heard that profound truth. Oscar Muriu, Senior Pastor at the Nairobi Chapel in Nairobi, Kenya spoke at the Urbana 2009 Conference on the current state of missions. He challenged young Christians to follow Jesus's model of humility and patience when entering the mission field. I remember that talk as if it was just this morning. Oscar spoke on John chapter 1, God made flesh, Jesus Christ coming and dwelling among us, among his creation. He lived for 30 years as a normal, hardly known, person. A friend, brother, son. He learned the culture, his trade, the language, was educated...for 30 years. Every time I am impatient with the slowness of ministry, the stubbornness of hardened harts, i pray I remember Jesus`example. I doubt I will ever have to wait 30 years...maybe I will? But I hear my thoughts filling with doubt and complaints after several weeks of waiting-forgetting that my Jesus waited 30 years. Oh the beauty of my Jesus. What a beautiful, humble example he left for me to follow, for me to hope, for me to trust. 
       And you know something else about this truth that is beautiful? He knew the outcome. It wasn`t as if He was waiting 30 years but was blindly trusting God, He knew exactly what was to happen. Can you imagine how anxious He must have been? But He is God, God knew He could handle it. Often when I am called to wait, I wish so badly to know what I am waiting for. After reflecting on the life of Christ, I no longer want to know. My life would be overwhelmed with worries, fears, doubts, analyzing-all of the above. It would completely eliminate the faith to TRUST that Christ knows, and He is preparing me for what lies ahead, and the call to keep striving for that. Praise Jesus that I don`t know what disaster or struggle I will face next, Praise Jesus He has protected me from knowing those things...so I can rest in trusting Him. So I rest in His sovereign peace. 

       This life is a journey. How quickly I am to become impatient and frustrated with the slowness of it. But times like this, reflecting, remembering, times like Zambia where everyday seemed like a year compared the American lifestyle....I see how incredible the slowness of life is. And I pray I will take every moment, ever day with the patience of Christ. Every breath I breathe is life given from the Almighty. The breath of the Almighty gives me LIFE! Physical and spiritual life. Job 33:4