Expectation

                                        Expectation

      My family and I were anticipating the birth of my daughter's first child. We shared in the excitement of the parents-to-be, as they await the birth. There was a baby shower, to help them prepare for the baby's arrival (and a baby needs so much in this era!)
      As the ninth month dawned, they finished collecting the needed supplies, the crib, bureau, clothes. As the due date came and went, the anxiety and discomfort grew, as the child grew larger and more difficult for the mother (my daughter) to manage.
      Although we knew that the event would happen at any time, as the due date passed, I found myself, in exasperation, wondering if the day would ever come. But logic ruled that the baby had to be born eventually! Sure enough, the event did come and took me totally by surprise, though the baby was only one week overdue. A little girl was born and she needed that extra week, as she weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Her parents and whole family were overjoyed to have her join the family.
      The day before the birth, I was watching the remote web cam of the wild eagles, who were sitting on their nest, waiting for eggs to hatch. (I had sent the link to my daughter, hoping it would encourage her to be patient, in carrying her overdue baby). The day of the birth, the eagles' second egg also hatched.
      This experience showed me the difficulty in waiting for an event. As the expected time is delayed, frustration and discomfort can set in, and cause us to wonder if it will ever happen. As many of us wait for God's kingdom, after so many years, some can question and wonder—is it really going to happen afterall, as things go on and on, as they have. But like an unborn child, the Kingdom of God grows invisibly, but there a outward visible signs. And as labor begins the birth of a child, so upheaval in the earth proceed God's Kingdom. But we can take comfort that the birth will be glorious.