Waiting Is Tough
Did you know that elephants have the longest gestation period of any mammal? Female elephants are pregnant for around 21 months before giving birth to their calf (which is what a baby elephant is called).
Moms, can you imagine being pregnant for 21 months. Wow! When Lisa was pregnant with our first son, it seemed like nine months took forever. (Although, it was actually over nine months because our older son decided on a late arrival.) But that last month seemed to drag on forever.
Lisa was miserable and could not sleep because there was no comfortable way to lie down and get rest. I was miserable because I could not sleep since Lisa could not sleep. That last month of pregnancy was tough. If we would have had to endure 21 months of pregnancy, I do not believe we would have made it. That’s almost two years!
But, with the difficulties of pregnancy also came the excitement and the anticipation. We were nervous because we had never been parents before. We were elated because our little family of two was adding a new baby. We could not wait.
It’s tough to wait for something for so long and not know for sure when it was coming. Waiting is hard work. The cross reminds us of something else that we are waiting for. And, it is hard work, too.
An aspect of salvation in Christ can be easily missed if we don’t take a moment to remember all that Jesus has done. Most Christians would not miss all that Jesus has done for us on the cross. The cross ushered in the New Covenant by providing the atonement or payment for our sins. The “past tense” of the cross is easy to see.
Even the “present tense” of the cross is straightforward as we remember the ongoing effects of the death of Jesus Christ for us. But, the “future tense” of the cross can sometimes be missed if we are not careful to realize all that is provided through Christ. Fortunately, the cross encourages us to look forward to what is to come just as it encourages us to look back to what has already been done.
The forward drawing of the cross requires that we reflect on what is yet to be. In 1 Corinthians 11, we are reminded that every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (emphasis mine). Jesus says that He will be with Him one day as we gather with all His followers in heaven. Until then, we hang on to the cross longing for the day when we will see Him face to face.
It’s hard to wait for the birth of a baby. (Though for elephants, it’s even harder.) It’s most difficult to wait for the glory of heaven. Until then, we walk in the reality that heaven awaits those in Christ. Let that truth encourage you as you wait.