My Lord Delays His Coming

My husband has been away on business a lot lately. Some of his trips have been as long as 5 weeks, some only a few days. Because we have a home and young children, this has been a challenge for me in some ways that I could have for seen as well as some unexpected. These past months have taught me some lessons and given me some new insight into myself. I suppose that is the purpose for tests and trials, isn’t it?

A scripture has come to mind now and again through these long days – the one where it says, “My Lord delays His coming” (Matt. 24:48). Oh, how I have felt that way myself some days. I don’t want to be in a bad attitude but sometimes I find my good intentions just slipping away. Little by little, negative thoughts and feelings might slip in or perhaps it would be more truthful to say slip out and impact my approach to daily responsibilities.

Now, I don’t generally think of myself as my husband’s servant or he my master – that just isn’t the way things are done these days, is it? But some days, I actually am out and about running errands for him, things he would usually take care of when he is at home. Most of the time it’s not a problem, but there was one occasion I was required to step out of my comfort zone and take on a task that I had no experience in, and really didn’t want to attempt. This is where I discovered a pocket of resentment had built up and although I did what I had to, I wasn’t exactly willing. (Who am I kidding? I put it off until the last possible moment and grumbled my way through it.)

Some days, it is a challenge to haul myself out of bed to face another day on my own. At least that is how I feel sometimes. Sounds a bit like self-pity, doesn’t it? These are the days that for one reason or another, I don’t begin with even a little prayer. I just drag myself up and out to the kitchen to share my bad mood with my kids. I gripe and nit-pick until they are off to school (not a very nice start to their day!) and then try to get my own act together. Good thing kids are pretty forgiving; thankfully they love me anyway.

There are some days I am a dynamo, I’ll be busy with a list a mile long but manage to accomplish it all. Ahh, what a good feeling! One of these days can keep me going for a couple more, it builds momentum I guess.

Most days are somewhere in between, a little of everything. But one thing I have come to rely on is the phone calls between my husband and I. It is a great stress reliever just to hear his voice. On a good day, it’s like the icing on a cake. On a bad one, he’s my outlet. He knows what I mean, what I am facing and I know he really does care. We share ideas – keeping some and discarding others. These calls remind me that I’m not on my own, that he’ll be home and that he has faith in me until he returns.

Isn’t that what Christ was talking about in Matt. 24? He was letting his disciples know he’d be leaving them but that they needed to keep the faith. He expected them to remember what needed to be done and do it. They needed to take care of the brethren with brotherly love, to take care of the work Jesus left them, to endure.

Luke talks about it too, in chapter 12 warning them to watch themselves, not to fall into bad attitudes – worry, anger, fear – and not to take them out on others; to preserve their faith and the faith of others.

Well, this speaks to me right now as I find myself waiting for my husband’s return. I am not sure how much longer he will be away this time, sometimes he knows in advance, but more often he grabs the opportunity to come home as it arises. We are always excited to see him, but sometimes he returns to a beautiful and peaceful home, and other times it has been to confusion and stress. Although it is always a relief to me, I realize it is most pleasant for him to find that things were running smoothly in his absence. It is reassuring for him to know that he can count on me, just as I can count on him.