It’s mid-Lent. How’s it going so far? Is your writing holier, more reverent, a better witness? Have you thought about how this “season of waiting” is affecting you? Maybe you haven’t had the time? We are not used to waiting. We call, tweet, text, download, upload, blog, and have a Facebook account. We never lose touch. We possess I-phones, blackberries, razors, blue tooth devices, I-Pods, I-Pads, laptops and plenty of apps. We don‘t wait for anything. Many of us consider “waiting” to be a kind of disaster if it happens to interrupt our regular routine.
The Church asks us to “wait” on purpose during Lent. In the midst of our technology, we strive to control and separate the various aspects our lives. During Lent we are reminded that our lives are dynamic and always changing. Unexpected occasions of waiting should be one of our privileges. Waiting requires trust, calm, vision, courage and stillness. During Lent we wait on the Lord, literally. We come face to face with the reality that we are not in control and we must wait according to the Lord’s time, not ours.
Wait kind of “waiter” are you. Do you wait with despair, anger, impatience, or maybe frustration? None of these will improve your spiritual life or your writing. Remember that emotions will always “tell” in whatever we write. This is the time to take stock of your Lenten waiting. Reality in the spirit is that all of us are waiting all of the time. We are all the ones separated from God, by sin, by choice, by accident, by grief, by guilt and by blame. We are all desperately waiting for the coming of the Lord who will heal and soothe us in His full revelation and glory.
There is a key to “beneficial waiting”. Scripture shows us that the Lord never stops seeking us. When we wouldn’t listen He sent his son. Embracing that truth is the remedy to our lack of patience and woundedness. “Fear not, for I am with you; from the east I will bring back your descendants, from the west I will gather you. Everyone who is named is mine, whom I created for my glory whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:5-7) During this Lent, pay attention to the occasions of waiting that “pop up”. Expand your view of waiting as a spiritual tool. In your writing, find the joy in the art of waiting and don’t forget to tell the world that in the scheme of things, waiting is an occasion of gift.
Copyright© 2012, Kathryn M. Cunningham, all rights reserved.
KathrynCunningham
Kathryn is a retired junior high teacher. A convert with a love for the Church she believes that its teachings have a more than viable application for today's world. She writes practical theological for the people in the pews believing that they have as much right to good catechesis as our youth and converts. Her writings appear on Catholic web sites and local Church publications. She has even been published in the diocese of Australia and most recemtly Zenit. Kathryn holds a Master's in Theology and is a certified spiritual director. Learn more about Kathryn at: www.atravelersview.org
Dear Kathryn,
What you write here is truly inspired. It is not enough to have patience and to wait. We must also exert our faith to accept the answser and work virtuously to work out the result. Thank you for reminding us.