Actively waiting

In today’s first reading (Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18), the Lord tells Abraham to prepare sacrificial animals for a solemnization of the covenant the Lord is making with him.

Abraham immediately does what he is told and then... he waits.

And waits.

And waits.

He has to fight off birds of prey who are swooping down upon the sacrificed animals.

The sun sets and he is left alone in the dark.

And still he waits.

The Lord finally does make his presence known and ratifies the covenant in dramatic fashion: a covenant he would fulfill in ways Abraham could scarcely imagine.

Abraham was well rewarded for his faithfulness.

Likewise you and I may hear the Lord calling us to a particular task or a particular commitment; but even if we respond quickly and faithfully, we may not always see an instantaneous response from the Lord. Indeed, we may have to wait a long time for verification or vindication from the Lord, while in the meantime we may need to fight off the vultures of skepticism and idle pleasures and sometimes even endure the "terrifying darkness" of doubt.

But the Lord is true to his promises. “He remembers forever his covenant,” as today’s Psalm tells us (Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9).

As Abraham did so very long ago, may you and I always wait for the Lord faithfully and actively.