For children in Chestermere, the wait is nearly over. For too many days now, those tempting gifts under the tree have been whispering, and at times shouting, “come on over and give me a shake, maybe take a peek?” Christmas may be the season of hope, joy, love and peace, but for many kids, it’s about waiting. Waiting for school to be out, waiting for grandma to come over, and waiting to open those glimmering presents.
Throughout our lives, waiting is a skill we’ve had to reluctantly develop. Studies have shown that we wait between 45 and 60 minutes every day. That’s time spent waiting in line, waiting for our old computer, waiting at stop lights, and waiting for our cars to warm up. We might spend three whole years of our lifetime simply waiting, and waiting.
Patience, they say, is a virtue. Even the Bible celebrates patience as a gift. But learning to wait when patience is running thin is no small task. Everyday we are faced with something, or someone, we have to wait on.
We might be forced to wait on our toaster or wait for the weekend to roll around, but it seems a great deal harder to wait on a person. Offering a moment of patience to someone, especially a stranger, can easily test our limited patience. How many times have we been passed by an angry speeding truck, or maybe we’ve been the person who has stomped on the gas. Gracious patience may be in short supply on our roads as well as in our offices, grocery stores, and homes.
A wise friend recently taught me that “waiting is the most basic form of generosity.” By choosing to wait on another person, we are giving a gift. Because waiting says, “I am willing to stop until you arrive.” When we wait on another person, we discover that patience is more than a virtue, it’s the start of something more. Waiting is a seedbed of kindness, care, and generosity.
In our own neighbourhoods we have, all around us, people who may test our patience. Yet there may be opportunity to give the “gift of waiting” to those who live on our street. Instead of rushing through our neighbourhoods, we can slow down for kids crossing the street. Taking time to shovel sidewalks, stopping to say hello, or writing a card are all ways that we ‘wait’ on others. If waiting is the seedbed of generosity, then in time I believe we will see sprouts of neighbourliness shoot up across our city. The time we spend today to foster generosity in our communities will pay off in the long run. But patience, it seems, may be in order.
This Christmas may you give the gift of your presence and time to those who are close to you. In the fast pace of our holiday activities, may you know the depth to which you are loved and the valuable time you have with those around you. The wait is over. Merry Christmas!
