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Waiting with Patience



"Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what is seen?
But if we hope for what we do not see,
we wait for it with patience."
Romans 8

In early March the Spring Breck's catalogue arrives filled with beautiful photos of peonies of all varieties and colors. In addition to those tempting, enhancing photos of award winning plants, come sale prices. 50% off. Buy One Get One. So I did some shopping, the plants arrive at appropriate planting time.

The planting began, faced with the unknown. How deep should they go to bloom? What happens if they are planted too deep? If they are too shallow, will the resident squirrels partake of the banquet?

Now begins the waiting and the hoping. To paraphrase Paul,  I wait with patience for what I don't see.

Things aren't right. As I watch the local, national, and international news, I conclude that things aren't right. The struggle for social justice isn't over when attacks on racial individuals and institutions seem excessive. 

Things aren't right.  I watched several interviews of adopted children and heard their stories of being moved from foster home to foster home. They hope someone would adopt them. As one child said, "all I want is someone to love me." 

Things aren't right.

But the Romans 8 message says God isn't finished with the world yet. Paul says we are not alone facing the struggle to make things right.

Instead, God’s Spirit is groaning right along with us, expressing our pain, fears, and dreams to God as petitions too deep for our words.

There is the hope. As we experience pain, the Spirit is lifting prayers to God in ways we cannot express. In our fears of things never becoming right, the Spirit expresses that fear to God. As we dream of things beyond now, the Spirit lifts them to God.

As we live a trusting, Spirit-filled life we will see the Spirit constantly working in human weakness to bring about God’s full liberation and wholeness.

And so, with patience and hope, we wait for what we do not  see.

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