By the Way: Always worth the wait

By OZ LORENTZEN on December 24, 2021.

Christmas time! A season where I am reminded about how hard it is to wait.

A friend of mine remarked some time ago, when I was (somewhat typically) “fashionably late” and he was having to wait for me, that he noticed how people don’t really wait anymore. That is, when they have to wait (think of a doctor’s waiting room) out comes the cell phone (or other electronic devices) and the diversion and distraction begins. (It may be surprising if we knew just how many games of “Angry Birds” are played and by whom).

We do not wait anymore, because when circumstances require us to wait, we displace waiting through our distractedness. My friend mentioned this to me, because he was deliberately not checking his cell phone while awaiting my arrival!

Waiting requires intention and focus; and it is hard work!

So, it’s Christmas time and I am thinking about waiting. Although the warm weather, I think was the culprit, delayed my “getting in the Christmas mood” I cannot help beginning to feel anticipation and eagerness (no longer focused on the allure of brightly wrapped packages under the tree). I find myself humming Christmas songs, pleasantly surprised and gladdened by store employees wishing me a “Merry Christmas,” and anticipating the enjoyment and richness of sharing good food and company with family and friends. If I’m not caught up in the waiting, I find that I miss out on the full experience of Christmas. The waiting, as most children frustratingly know, makes the arrival all that much better.

It is easier to wait when you know something good is coming, when there is good news!

And in fact, that is what Christmas is. Christmas exists today because 2,000 years ago, and for the last 2,000 years, people experienced staggeringly good news! You may want to look into the story for yourself, it explains what all the hype is about and why some of us think learning how to really wait is pretty important!

Oz Lorentzen is Reverend at St. Barnabas

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