Worth the Wait

 I heard there will be real snow at the party, I told my wide-eye kids several days before the big Christmas party we enjoy each year.

Seriously? REAL snow? In Florida? How can that be?!!!

I have no clue. But, that’s what the invitation says, REAL snow.

Living in Florida with very limited exposure to weather conditions conducive to snow, my children have suffered from serious case of snow deprivation  The tantalizing words on the invitation held a joyful promise that their maimed existence might finally find its completion.

When we arrived at the party, we were directed towards a small fenced-in area filled with a couple of feet of shaved ice, carrying an uncanny resemblance to real snow.  There was already a snowball fight going on, and an attempt at making a real Snowman (as opposed to the inflatable ones growing on nicely manicured green lawns). The line of equally deprived Floridian youngsters bubbling with excitement formed instantly.  

I left the kids to wait their turn, and went on to visit with friends and enjoy some great food in a festive atmosphere. Eventually I strolled back to the snow zone.  By this time the line was unbelievable.  Kids of all ages were waiting patiently for their chance to freeze their sandal-clad toes and form an ice-ball with their frost-bitten fingers.

Is THIS the end of the line? I asked in disbelief.  Several children shook their heads and pointed few rows back.

And you guys are standing here and waiting all this time, so patiently?  I was honestly shocked. Most of these children have grown up in the culture where waiting on microwave to warm up their lunch is tooooo loooooong.

Oh, Mrs. S., it’s soooo worth it!  One of them chirped, her face beaming with excitement.  We’ve already been there once, and it’s worth every minute of the wait!

I stood there, transfixed.  Waiting. One of the hardest things any one of us will do. Waiting is hard. It’s hard for children.  It’s hard for adults.  Sometimes waiting on God feels like the hardest thing of all.  But, when the wait is over, when we finally see Him face-to-face, like beaming children, we’ll be able to say,

Ooooh, it’s worth it! It’s sooooo worth it. This is OUR God and we’ve been waiting for Him… HE is worth it!

And it will be said in that day,

“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.

This is the Lord for whom we have waited;

Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9