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Four hundred years passed from the last prophesy of the Malachi until Jesus was born. Waiting is a part of God's way. And yet, Jesus's coming was perfectly timed in God's economy,
Clay and I celebrate our 45th anniversary soon, God willing. As I look back through the years, it is the devoted partnership where we held fast, the ways we celebrated mundane rhythms of life every day, every night, the “Forgive me,” the persevering through all the years and phases of childhood with our crew where the value of our relationship was forged, where the Clarkson story took root, where our ministry was birthed. It was "in the meantime" between big events where treasures were discovered.
I waited to fall in love, to get married, to get pregnant multiple times. Waited for 19 houses to sell when moving and waited to find another suitable place.
Waited for children to be out of diapers, to learn to read, to grow up! On it goes.
Clay waited through these seasons by my side. What will life hold? What is going to happen?
Most of life is in the “in between.”
What we do in the meantime defines our life story.
We waited when hopes were only ideas we talked about, we worked hard to start a ministry without any money.
We talked of books to write when there were none. We lived through illnesses, moves, car wrecks, out of the box children, asthmatics, family trauma, church drama. In these places our character was shaped, our story grew with integrity. Each season learning to be faithful in hard times, trusting God with unanswered prayer, forgiving when we didn’t feel like it, loving a child who acted in an unlovable way.
What you choose to believe and cherish, practice and submit to, work at and believe, happens when no one else is looking. These are the glorious days your children will remember—the joy of the meantime, the moments cherished, the memories of this Christmas, feasting together, choosing joy. Life teaches us to cherish every day.
This Christmas, enjoy every moment, wait on God with great hope, choose delight as you seek to worship Him, marvel at the Christ child.
We don't know about tomorrow. What will you do in the meantime, this Christmas?