A young girl wants to be a ballerina. She has gone to the Ballet and watched in awe as the prima dona dances so beautifully. So the young girl decides that she will be a prima dona the next day. And even though she is not too bad, it is obvious that she needs a lot of practise in order to be a great star. It would take her much practise to become a lead dancer.
A teen age boy wants to get his driver's license. He figures that because he can drive so well, he can skip getting his L Plate and P Plate and go right to his G license. Again he is surprised that there are many steps to go through before he can get his ultimate goal.
Impatience. We live in a world that doesn't like to wait very well. We turn our tvs on and expect there to be a picture right away. We look for faster and faster internet service. We make telephone calls to places around the world and get upset if we are not connected right away. We so look forward to Christmas and to Easter, that we ignore the waiting seasons of Advent and Lent.
But waiting is a part of life. Gardeners know that. They plant a seed one day, but know they will have to tend the soil and water before a sprout might show. My tomato seeds will not produce rich tomatoes the day I plant the seed. No I have to wait to enjoy my harvest. A good product takes time before it is finished. We might enjoy the richest of harvests, but we have to wait until it is ready.
Maybe that's why so many people struggle with Lent. Lent by its nature means waiting. Each year we know the end of the story- Jesus rises from the tomb- but we have to wait for it. There are several things we must do before we get there- Ash Wednesday, the temptations, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and then finally we get to Easter. We begin each Ash Wednesday service with the idea that we are an Easter people, but we have to go through the preparation once more before we get there. We have to wait. Enjoy this inbetween time. Blessings.
