You + Me + Jesus WAITING at the Gravesite of Hope: Intro to a Lenten Journey through the Gospel of Luke
I have a suspicion: We’re all waiting—waiting for something, or perhaps for someone. Maybe it’s for a job promotion or clarity on what career path to take. We could be antsy for our hip to heal or desperate for our youngest to get out of diapers or our oldest to make it through puberty in one piece. Perhaps we’re waiting for the day we finally get to parent. We wait for love. We wait for purpose. We wait to shed fifteen pounds, to have a true best friend, to get affirmation from our dad. We wait.
Here’s a confession: I don’t like to wait. Some days waiting is a minor irritation; other times it’s a subterranean reservoir of rage.
But what if there were gifts in the waiting? What if this desert of waiting contained beauty and necessary nutrients for the terrain beyond?
I want to be grateful for the waiting, but here’s another confession: I’m not. Not yet. But I’m up for the journey that leads to gratitude, and I’d love for you to join me.
INVITATION: During this Lenten season, let’s look at Jesus’ story and zoom into the scenes when he found himself waiting—for his call to be revealed and received, to be known, to have a home, to nurture, to die, to resurrect. And let’s see if there’s anything in Jesus’ journey of waiting that can give insight—and ultimately hope—to our wait.
6-WEEK WAITING PLAN: Each week during Lent, I’ll post a reading from the book of Luke (an historical accounting of Jesus’ life) that spotlights a time when Jesus found himself waiting. I’ll also include personal reflection questions focused on the intersections between Jesus’ story and ours. I’d love to find out what you’re discovering, so please post your insights. It also may be great to do this with a friend, meeting once a week to banter, grapple, and pray.
STARTING LINE REFLECTION: What are you waiting for? What questions do you ask about God—or assumptions do you make—when you’re waiting for something important to you? What questions do you ask of yourself? Are there any unhelpful assumptions you make about yourself or others when waiting starts to shatter your hope?
The journey of Lent always begins with confession, with the invitation to express our sorrow for ways we’ve missed God and our need for more of his grace. If you dare, take some time today to be candid with God and see what comes of that.
YET ANOTHER CONFESSION: I have often doubted God’s goodness in my waiting. I have assumed He’s holding out on me. And so, I’ve felt like a victim. I’ve felt I’ve had to live a lesser story than I want, than I deserve, than what others get. Victim. Victim. Victim.
And yet I know that’s no way to wait. It’s no way to live.
When I pull back from my assumptions, I find myself asking three questions:
- Is the waiting worth it? Do I have cause for hope?
- Am I alone in the waiting? Do I have community?
- What should I be doing in the waiting? Do I have guidance?
These are my questions as I wait. Perhaps yours are different. But let’s see how Jesus’ life can speak into our deepest longings as we wait…and as we hope.
MY PRAYER: My prayer is that you and I will not only find renewed strength and hope in our waiting, but that ultimately we’ll get to know Jesus more truly and deeply and experience more of his love en route. Cheers to that!
Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31
I’m all in! Thanks for this, you!
Thanks so much, Candace. I’m thrilled you’re in and can’t wait to hear your insights en route.
It’s probably not a coincidence that something I have been waiting for for over a decade is brewing ugly right now. This seems like the perfect time to re-commit this issue to prayer and believe that the waiting has and will continue to produce below the surface of what I can see. Looking forward to walking through this Lenton season with you!
It’s a gift to be on this journey with you. Yes, I think waiting can so often take us to despair. I love that you are vigilant in keeping hope alive.
Reading this made me realize that I too am not looking for gifts that come from waiting, and I too easily fall into an attitude of being a victim. Tamara, thanks for sharing your wisdom and giving me something to chew on!
I’m excited for the future weeks of Lent 🙂
Thanks so much, Andrea. Yes, I do think that victim-thinking is one of the key things God wants to extract out of me…it can show up in such sneaky ways. I can’t wait to hear your insights en route!
Waiting…something that is neither easy nor encouraged in our “on-the-go” culture! I always feel like there is more to be done, more to acquire, more to busy myself with. What a beautiful season and journey to experience WAITING. Thanks Tamera, for bringing this reality to my awareness. I am beyond excited to dive into this season with your inspiring insights as guide.
Thanks so much, Erin. You’re right; we’re oriented to avoid waiting at all cost. I certainly look forward to getting your perspectives en route. Thanks again!
I, too, have been in an extended period of waiting — or more accurately, several overlapping periods of waiting. I am typically a patient person and try not to get lured into the often unhealthy trap of instant gratification. But lately I have begun to question the psychological health of waiting (and there are negative and unhealthy aspects of waiting). I often feel like patience is an “active” process whereas waiting is a “passive” one. Lately, in this process of waiting, I have found myself moving away from patience and closer to annoyance and, even worse, apathy. This Lenten adventure may be just what I need.
Tam,
Thanks for sharing this. As I just shared with you on our walk, we are in another “holding pattern” related to work and what it means for our lives, so this topic is very relevant. Thanks for the invitation to the journey … I look forward to what God will reveal to us through your own insights and wisdom.
Laura