From: Brittany Yeager
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (James 5.7-8)
A couple years ago, Jon and I had the opportunity to tour an apple orchard with it’s owner and farmer. This orchard had been in his family for over a century. The rows of trees and their varieties were well-known to him and carried with them memories readily recalled of plentiful seasons and seasons of want. The process of planting, pruning, defending, harvesting, and dormancy were second-nature to him. He was a farmer, well-acquainted with the active process of waiting for the precious fruit of the earth.
I find it somewhat difficult to insert myself fully in the farmer’s wait, as I am unfamiliar with the process of planting and harvest. However, the human experience of waiting is a familiar one. This takes various forms—we wait for public transit; we wait in traffic; we wait in the line at the grocery store; we wait for a job; we wait for test results; we wait for friends to feel like family; we wait for a spouse; we wait for children; we wait for clarity; we wait for faith to take root in the midst of deep doubt—the list could go on and on, couldn’t it?
While these experiences of waiting are valid and trying, we must also remember that we, as the people of God, are a waiting people. In the midst of the ordinary and mundane places of wait, we also await the coming of the Lord—the day when all our waiting will be over and our patience will be a precious, blooming fruit rooted in the city of God.
In both instances, James’ exhortation is rather simple: wait with patience. And so we wait. We see these moments of waiting (and they are plenty!) as opportunities of grace. Thanks be to God, we have a Sower who is patient with us as learn to be patient with him. In the ordinary, mundane, trying places of waiting, may we find that God is indeed working in us the precious fruit of patience. Establish your hearts; the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Bonus: Take a listen to The Sower's Song by Andrew Peterson. Such beautiful imagery of the seeds the Lord is sowing and reaping in us.
I am daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend. I love good music, yummy food, and laughter with friends. I live in Arlington with Jon and Ellie.