The Waiting Room

When thinking in this weekly reflection, I was immediately drawn to the space between Ascension and Pentecost, two momentous events of our liturgical season.  There’s a trough, a low space, between Christ’s ascending and the Holy Spirit’s descending.  This is a space of holy waiting, explicitly commanded by Christ in his last earthly words before ascension.

Waiting is difficult.  How do we know the difference between procrastination and holy waiting?  How can we wait when so many things seem to demand action or response?  How long must we wait when we’re promised something wonderful?  What do we do when the God we’ve pinned all our hopes and dreams upon suddenly ups and leaves?  What do we do when all we have left is a promise?  What do we do when there’s nothing left to do but wait?  Perhaps how the disciples waited will give us some direction for our own times of waiting.

God brings us into the waiting for specific reasons.  He wants time to minister to us in the waiting.  He wants to prepare us.  Let us be mindful as we wait for his Holy Spirit.