Waiting Time

There is this pool of water called, Bethesda, in the time of Jesus, in Jerusalem. It seems that now and again an angel comes and stirs the waters. The first person to get to the pool after that, gets healed. Well the pool is surrounded by lots of people who seek healing. One fellow has been waiting for 38 years, I think. Jesus comes along and heals him. Timing is everything! He had to wait 38 years but he met Jesus.

Now if you went to the hospital and they said you would have to wait 38 years to see a doctor, would you wait? I suspect not. What if you were told you would have to wait 38 years to meet Jesus face to face. Would you wait? Many people I know go to church or recovery meetings, and if they are not "entertained" or "engaged" by the speaker, the music, the topic, the fellowship, are looking to bail after 15:00. I bet the fellow at the Bethesda pool was bored for a lot of the time. Maybe in the end, an encounter with the Divine Mystery requires one thing, patience. I am almost 69, and God has been waiting for me to shape up all that time. Don't underestimate patience.