Preparing patiently
by Pastor Tim Castle-Schmidt
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See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains (James 5:7b).
Read James 5:7–12
I have just returned to city living after a four-and-a-half-year stint in the country. I had always been a city-dweller, even though I enjoy getting out of the city. Ironic, isn’t it?
But, having returned to the hustle and bustle of city life, do you know what strikes me most about the difference between the two?
It is not the ease of access to goods and services. It is not the crisp smell of fresh air. It is not the constant rumbling of traffic and passenger trains or even the crazy time farmers call ‘hay season’.
It is how farmers, by and large, respond patiently and graciously to the conditions that life presents: If it’s dry, they say, ‘The rains will come’. If it’s wet, they say, ‘At least it’s not dry’, or ‘There’s money in mud’. Typically, I have found that farmers, while they do complain at times, are much more content with the conditions than city-dwellers.
As we prepare for the advent of the Messiah, we can be tempted to wish it were now or even to predict, ‘Look at the signs of the times – the end is nigh!’
But, with the confidence of Jesus’ irrepressible resurrection (not even death can hold him), we can patiently rest in knowing that all is in God’s hands. And as a result, we can live confidently in the future as we work towards the great renewal also.
I love Isaac Watt’s great line in his famous Christmas carol: ‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come.’ It sounds like bad grammar, but it is correct. Jesus is come; he is here and remains here, which gives us the confidence to wait patiently for the fulfilment of the age.
Lord Jesus, when we feel overwhelmed, help us to remain patient. Remind us of your promise to be wherever we are. As we approach this season of life, please give us your peace in all that happens. Amen.
By his own admission, Tim Castle-Schmidt is a broken man. Broken in body, mind and spirit, he says he is learning that God is at work in and through human brokenness. He says that while God has not ‘fixed’ him, God continues to work through his brokenness to connect with the world. Tim is the Pastor of Nunawading–Waverley Lutheran Church in Melbourne. After spending many years as a teacher in Lutheran schools, he finally listened to God’s call to the pastoral ministry. Tim is passionate about social justice and engaging the church with contemporary society. Tim shares his life with Fiona, Miranda, and a Jack Russell called Otto.
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