During today’s Christmas-is-here-y’all conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re talking about the unlikely gift of waiting. Now if you’re anything like me and you got the gift of waiting this season, your first reaction would be to hope it came with a receipt so you could return it! It’s taken me a really long time – no pun intended – but I’m finally learning that when God authors a pause in my story, there’s redemptive purpose in it. Ancient theologian and beloved pastor, Charles Spurgeon explained it much better than I can: If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord’s people have always been a waiting people. It may initially seem like wishful thinking, if not downright rude and intrusive, to emphasize slowness during the week of Christmas ~ which all too often is filled with more frenzy than figgy pudding, especially when those gifts we ordered on Amazon Prime still haven’t shown up yet the relatives we didn’t order do show up ~ but to quote a dear friend and beloved pastor from this modern era, Steven Furtick: “The only thing harder than waiting on God, is wishing that you had!” So please step away from the scissors and Scotch tape and wrapping paper, put the pot on simmer, dial the pace of the elliptical down to meander, and come exhale on the porch with Alli, Dr. Howard and me. We’re grateful that hanging out with y’all has become part of our holiday tradition.