Waiting is not something we Americans do well! The long lines at an airport security checkpoint are an excellent example. If the person before us is slow getting laptops prepared, shoes removed, emptying pockets, or packing their container for the x-ray inspection, he can send the people waiting behind into a tailspin. This is especially true if the next person in line is running late. If you relate to this description, waiting patiently is not one of your strong points!
Yet, waiting in long lines for water, food, or vaccines is fast becoming a staple of American life in many communities. Indeed, people need to learn again just how to be patient with each other, especially in difficult waiting situations. Sister Rita, a seventh-grade teacher, insisted patience is about attitude, “Patience is not simply the ability to wait, but how we behave while we wait.”
Saint Francis de Sales gently reminds us we must be patient with everyone, but most especially with ourselves. De Sales asks us to consider how often in our lives we have made Jesus wait for us.
De Sales’ references the long wait Jesus experiences before we stop a bad habit and spend the time replacing it with some good action. For instance, Jesus waits to see a prayer life begin, our showing of more gratitude for good things received, or thinking of others before fulfilling our own needs.
It can also be the day we realize that our gifts are not meant to be kept hidden, but rather shared. And when we do, we make the lives around us better, happier, or just plain easier. Meanwhile, God waits patiently for these things to happen, because when they do, God’s kingdom grows with them.
Why does God show us so much patience? Because God knows, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are quietly working 24-7, nudging us to grow and change. And God loves us too much to get discouraged and walk away. He simply awaits patiently for the Spirit and his son to do their work.
While God waits, our spiritual side gradually awakens, revealing the intended image God has in mind for each of us. And God lingers hopefully for everyone to, sooner or later, choose and become that imagined person.
Jesus gazes at the divine spark glistening within our sacred self, signaling that we belong to the Lord, and that we qualify to choose his goodness as our own. He reminds us that we can still become the person God created us to become. Jesus wants us to embrace this likeness because God already has destined us for his divine household.
What God desires for every creation is that we catch-up to God’s expectations. More important is Jesus’ wish that we are so moved by his father’s expectations that we make them happen. In this way, God’s grace will help us overcome our hurdles and stubborn moments.
After considering the depth of God’s faith and trust, we promise not to give up on ourselves. Difficult as that may be, we remember that God, our Father, loves us the same whether we make progress today, or fall a few feet behind. God always sees the whole picture and eagerly awaits the completed portrait.
Therefore, it’s good to keep moving forward with hope, because Jesus accompanies us and stays at our side cheering!
It is never too late to become who we might have been.
Father Richard DeLillio, OSFS
For more reflections by Father DeLillio, visit his webpage Live Well Today
