My mom and I were out shopping for Christmas decoration craft supplies. On the way home we stopped at the store where my husband works. When we parked outside, my son recognized where we were and became excited.
“Daddy!” Asaph exclaimed gleefully.
But when we entered the store we were told by one of his coworkers that my husband had gotten off early. We shrugged and headed back to the car.
“Daddy?!” Asaph protested.
“Daddy’s at home. We’ll see him in a few minutes,” I explained.
As my mom opened the car door, Asaph clung to it with his chubby, yet surprisingly strong little fists.
“Daddy! DADDY!!!” He wailed.
“We’re going home to see daddy! We’ll see him soon!” I explained again as I pried his tiny toddler fingers off the door and strapped him to his car seat.
“DADDY!!! DADDY!!! DADDYYYYYY!!!” He screamed on the ten-minute drive home as though his heart was breaking.
Needless to say, a few minutes later he was overjoyed to see for himself that his father was indeed still alive!
It was so sad yet so funny to see Asaph so upset over nothing. He understands a lot, but apparently he couldn’t understand that he would be with his daddy in just a little while. I felt that there were metaphors to be drawn from my son’s tears. It made me more self-aware: this must be how we look to God when we’re waiting for an answer to prayer.
Patience is a very important fruit of the Spirit. When love is described in 1 Corinthians 13, the first verse says, “Love is patient.” All of us, deep down, are just tantruming toddlers. Who am I kidding: it may not even be all that deep down. Patience is not something we can create in ourselves; it takes the Holy Spirit to help us. If we ask the Holy Spirit, He’ll be faithful to make us patient.
I tried explaining to Asaph again and again that his daddy was at home and he could be with him very soon. Yet Asaph could not understand. Likewise, we may panic when we can’t understand what God is doing. Uncertainty is terrifying. We must trust in our Heavenly Father and have faith in Him. Just like the man in Mark chapter 9, we can cry out to Jesus and ask, “Help my unbelief!” The Holy Spirit wants to help us trust in Him.
“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint”
–Isaiah 40:31
Anna Sojourning 