Holiday Reflections..

Thinking about including this in our church newsletter - let me know what you think ...

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Waiting, waiting is one of the gifts travelling brings. Waiting comes in many guises, the nervous, exciting, waiting, as you wait in line to leave, wait to meet friends, wait to see attractions, the list can and does go on.

Waiting also comes through delays. Ask any commuter, the worst sort of waiting, is unexplained.

Time spent waiting, is time that disappears. Waiting tries our patience, as this time is wasted, this is time we do not get back. this is time we often spend complaining.

But the time that we spend waiting we can use much more fruitfully, as you travel you see people use this time, through reading the paper, the latest book, catching up with friends, through either a SMS, or phone call.

Let's think how else time spent waiting could be used. We could use this time to write, to keep a journal of our thoughts, feelings; and evaluate every heartbeat of our lives. We could also use these moments to speak with our maker, as we see people talk with their friends. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that we can approach our God with confidence. (That’s not to say we should approach God lightly, or easily)

But let’s move beyond this – waiting is a part of the human condition, as we wait for guidance, we wait for our season of singleness to end, but more significantly we await our Lord’s return.

As we wait, what should characterise our lives, what should our lives look like? Let’s turn to a few passages for guidance.

First in Psalm 90 we are to consider that our lives like the wisp of the wind, we are born, and our lives ends as suddenly as a gust of wind fades away. Therefore, we should redeem the time; we should make the most of the minutes, hours, and days that we have been given by God.

Secondly, a recurring theme of Jesus’ parables [Matthew 24 to 26] is that His return will come as a thief in the night, without warning, unheralded and unexpectedly. Jesus in these parable teaches us to be watchful, to be prepared, and to be ready for His return.

Think about it this way. If you knew your hero was coming to your home for dinner, you would long before she or he, was due to arrive would begin preparing for their arrive, you would clear out the rubbish, and would prepare to cook their favourite meal. Likewise, as we prepare for Our Lord’s return, we should seek to remove the junk from our lives, and seek to show the fruit of His spirit.

Finally in 1 Peter 4:7, we learn we should be people who are living Holy, and Self-controlled lives. We should strive to be chasing after God with each, and every heartbeat of our lives.

As we wait for the train, bus, or plane, we should be patient, and dwelling on the Word of God.

As we wait as singles, we should continue to live as the bride of Christ.

As we wait for our Lord’s return, we strive to be found seeking His will, and redeeming the time we are given.

As we wait, we should patiently live each day striving with all that we are, and with all that we have to be loyal and willing shining lights for Christ, to the Glory and praise of God.

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[Platform 1, Central Station, Brisbane, waiting for the 9:56am train to the Gold Coast, which, for the record, was on time]

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