Even in Waiting, Goodness.

Our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.
Psalm 123

It was sometime in early March 2016 when I first saw it. I was at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russian staring at Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son. I had not known the Hermitage existed nor that it housed so much art, let alone this piece. Nor was I prepared for how moved I would become at all that seemed to be going on in that still painting. I sat there for how long I do not know, but it was a while. And I needed to do just that. Sit. Gaze. Wait. As I waited, as I continued to look upon the son embraced by the father, I saw more and more. Had I simply glanced at Rembrandt's work and kept up with the foot traffic, it would not have affected me so and I would be the poorer for it. Patience, a fruit of the Spirit.

The fourth Song of Ascent speaks of the long, patient, and expectant gaze that marks the people of God. Our eyes are not trained in any random direction, but they are (to be) trained on the Lord, looking to him. As we look toward him, and wait for him to bring his mercy and grace, it is not as if time is halted or muted. He may still be at work in our lives just as the still movement of The Prodigal Son was at work in me, though nothing appeared to be happening on the surface. At times, the work that happens during periods of waiting is work that takes place deeper down, down in the recesses of the soul. Resilience is honed. Perseverance is lengthened. Stillness is nurtured. Hope burns hotter.

As we are a people who wait for the Lord with our eyes looking to him, let us not despise the time in between. But know that even in the gazing, he is at work.

– Matthew+