Tip of My Iceberg

Rain had been threatening most of the day, and as the temperature dropped, the wind picked up.

The wedding ceremony was planned for an outdoor venue, covered by a roof with the sides open to all of surrounding nature.

As the bride walked down the aisle, her veil blew around her, like a cloud framing her beauty. Those watching shivered in the wind, but the bride and groom were focused only on each other, big grins glowing from their faces.

We were in Austin, Texas, and the expectation was that the weather would cooperate, that warmth and sunshine would be the order of the day.

The weather didn’t deter the celebration.

I’ve known the bride and her family for over twenty years, and our kids have grown up together in so many venues, soccer being one of them. Jessica has always been a young woman who knows her mind and refuses to settle for less than her dreams and hopes. She’s coached soccer at the collegiate level and has learned the value of investing in personal goals and giving herself the freedom to dream. Even when she met her future husband years ago as a teenager, they got to know each other as friends but didn’t pursue any relationship at the time.

Both waited. Both experienced life in different fields, different places.

And God brought them back together for such a time as this.

Waiting is hard work, and in a culture that expects immediate gratification, the challenge is to not get sidetracked with something–or someone–that won’t satisfy our hearts for the long term. Jessica and David waited for the right person at the right time, not wasting life with moans and groans but pursuing their work and their interests.

They rediscovered one another at a time that was ripe for both of them.

William Shakespeare coined the phrase in his 1599 play, “Julius Caesar”, that “timing is everything”. It’s a phrase that still holds true today. Even if we don’t appreciate it.

The Jewish nation waited for centuries for God to bring the promised Messiah who would free His people from bondage. God had specified in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve chose to disobey His commands, that He would redeem His people one day. They’d eventually be free from the bondage of darkness that has hindered the hope of the world since then.

Along the way, impatience became the norm. Waiting seemed impossible. And as time passed, the picture people held in their hearts and mind was of a Messiah who would physically free the nation of Israel from the bondage and hatred of those who continued to hurt them.

When Jesus came to earth, He was snubbed by all the religious leaders and many people because He didn’t show up as a mighty warrior or a king of power who would defeat all their enemies.

He came to free people from enslavement to our own personal darkness, our brokenness. His death was necessary; Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty of our imperfection which has kept us from knowing God personally.

People are still waiting for a sense of salvation. Those in the midst of war want someone who will save them from their enemies. People experiencing famine and displacement want someone who will provide food and safety. People who experience disease want someone who will heal them.

God has promised that. If we will wait on Him.

“We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone.” Psalm 33:20-22

God has promised throughout history to be our hope and help. Too often what we expect is a power that will destroy all those who hurt or hinder us, those who are not “on our side”.

God, however, sent a Savior to pay a price we could never hope to pay. One who would take our punishment for us because we’re not perfect–and God requires perfection to enter His heaven.

Hard times will come. Living in a broken world will cause hurt, disappointment and despair. But God sent His Son to pave the way for us to spend eternity with Him.

We wait.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” Psalms 37:7

There will always be those who don’t want to see us succeed. For Jessica and David, there were roadblocks along the way that could have kept them from reconnecting.

They waited.

Their marriage is the beginning of a grand journey that both are excited to participate in.

God invites us on a grand journey, a chance to experience forgiveness, grace, and hope in a dark and traumatic world.

He is worth the wait.

He won’t fail us.