Patient Hearts in a Waiting Season

Reflection

Is there an event or time of year that you look forward to every year? A wedding anniversary, the anticipation of a grandchild’s birth, or even a long awaited summer vacation? It can feel far away, as if it is never going to come. I always felt that way when I was waiting for my vacation time at work. Especially on stressful days, it felt like it was never coming. But then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, it arrived. And never too late.

James reminds us that waiting requires patience. The return of Jesus may seem far off when we look at the world around us, but the promise remains true. He is coming. And His timing is perfect.

But there is another part we often miss in the waiting. James tells us to stablish our hearts, to strengthen them with steady faith. Waiting is not meant to leave us idle. It is like the farmer who waits with anticipation for the harvest. He endures long days, changing weather, and dry soil that seems to hold no promise. Some mornings he looks at the sky and sees no clouds, no hint of rain, yet he keeps working. He plants. He waters. He prepares. He waits with expectation because he trusts that the harvest will come in its proper time. He does not give up simply because the evidence is not visible yet.

We can look around us and feel the same tension. Some days the difficulties of our seasons seem to make us faint, as if nothing is changing or moving forward. Yet in those very moments, God is strengthening us. He is calling us to stay faithful, to keep planting the seeds of prayer, obedience, and hope, knowing that His promises will never fail.