Thankful...

Thankful... that waiting brings great rewards!

At the moment our family is eagerly awaiting the birth of a baby boy who will make my husband and me grandparents, our son and his wife parents, and our other children aunts and uncles. It's hard to think of anything else and our phones are always right near us as we await the news that labor has begun and Liam John will be making his appearance. I am very thankful that nine months of pregnancy does come to an end!! I know my daughter-in-law is very ready for this waiting time to be a memory and to be holding her baby son in her arms. Waiting is never easy, but it's incredible how often it brings good things to our lives. I've always felt that the nine months of pregnancy prepared me in so many ways for parenting my babies. There was something about the patience and perseverance it required that stretched me (yes, I even have some marks as evidence!) so I was ready for sleepless nights and all the demands a new baby brings to the life of a mom.

It's been the same in so many other areas of my life! In marriage, my husband and I have not always understood each other, but our willingness to stick with each other has produced the precious reward of a deepening closeness and rock solid relationship. In disciplining our children, we never saw instant results, but over the years we are amazed - truly amazed - that our kids have become caring, loving, well mannered, independent individuals! In my personal life, I have so often fallen short of who I long to be, but I have forgiven myself over and over, and with time, am becoming the person I had hoped to be! Most profoundly, I have found that as we waited through times of heartbreak, light and hope eventually conquered the darkness and allowed us to become stronger people.

The waiting is intensely difficult and we wonder if we will break under the pressure at times. The rewards are indescribably, exhilaratingly worthwhile. As we experience the rewards of waiting, I find that I become more comfortable and patient in the waiting process. There is always a lesson to be learned if I am willing to take time to just relax and reflect. Time, even when it seems like it is moving too slowly, becomes our friend as we accept waiting as a gift. I also become increasingly thankful for God's patience with me as He molds me into the person He created me to be.

Soon I will be cradling that darling grandson in my arms and I'll be whispering to him that he was worth the wait. As I seek to invest in his little life, one of the qualities I hope he will see in me and emulate is a patient acceptance of waiting.

~Written by Joy Herman