The Wait

The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1896 For some reason I thought he'd be early. Weeks early. I'd wanted this son for 5 years, and the final days of waiting were killing me. Every day for a month I would wake up and check the bassinet just to make sure he wasn't there yet.

The people of God had been waiting for the Messiah a long long time too. Not just 5 years. More like 500 (give or take). He didn't make his grand entrance quite the way they were expecting him to.

He still doesn't.

Sometimes we wonder if He's coming at all.

When the angel came to Mary to tell her how he was coming, she replied "How can this be?" The Christ child was a hard thing for the child Mary to wrap her mind around. She was afraid. She never had Life inside her before. Never even been touched. "I'm just a virgin, how can this be?"

One of my favorite things about this passage is the angel tells her a story. He gives her a testimony of Life springing up in barren places: Once upon a time, there was a woman who couldn't bear children. Your cousin. The barren one. Six months ago life came to her. She is with child. She has recieved the seed of life inside her. For "nothing is impossible with God". Literal translation: "No freshly spoken Word of God comes without the ability to complete itself."

The atmosphere of fear and confusion shifted to one of faith. The levels of her faith sky rocketed! Even excitement surged thru her! Yes! Yes! I want to be a part of that! "Let it be unto me according to your word" Let the Seed come and bring Christ Life inside me! Her joy was so great that when she got to her cousins house she broke out in song. She believed that what had been promised would come to pass.

When the Lord whispers his plan for us he'll also tell us a good story. The word of the testimony that helps us overcome. Seeds of Life in barren places. It increases our faith in a moment. The testimony gives us grace to agree and wait with patience for what he says he will do. There's the story of lives of those in Scripture, in the lives of fathers and mothers of the faith. Stories of Immanuel, God with us. Then there's our very own stories. Where he has bent down to dwell with us. To be born in us. It's these that infuse us deep with renewed faith. Even when our flesh shakes and says, How can this be?

Here's the short version of my story. Once upon a time I lost my mind. I was told I'd never be better. I was told I was chronic. I was told I'd never be well enough to have another baby. But then! The word of The Lord came to me in a humble little church, bright as that angel who came to Mary. "All Things Are Possible With God." It set me free from months of dark depression. That was March of 2010.

Then on a glorious Saturday in late August of this year my long wait came to its glorious end. My son came, my little miracle boy. Now I have a story that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. It fills me with faith to believe for things that seem impossible. Praise be Immanuel. Nothing is impossible with You. Let it be to me exactly as you've said.

- Joy