Bus Stops and Waiting: Lenten Expectation at a Christian School

About two months ago I waited with a group of students for a city bus to whisk us away to an off-site learning opportunity.  The moments ticking by after the scheduled time of arrival started to confirm the realization that was becoming clear: we were at the wrong bus stop. It is hard to have your needs met when you are in the wrong line, no matter how long you wait.

So where do we wait? During this season of Lent we find ourselves waiting in a time of sober reflection as we anticipate the joy of the resurrection of Easter Sunday. We know it’s coming, and yet we believe the waiting has value. Waiting forces us to watch, listen, and meditate on God’s Word. It challenges us to look forward and backward in our lives to see patterns of disobedience or faithfulness.

What does it mean to “wait expectantly“ in an organizational setting like LCES? Spring in a Christian school setting is, after all, a busy time of planning, budgeting, and preparing. It seems to call for action more than waiting. Perhaps expectant waiting is the type of waiting infused with hope; we know that the desired end result will come, that it will be of God’s choosing, and is for our good.  Waiting with hope allows us to lift our heads and work in the assurance that everything is in His hands. God’s provision for us will be a reflection of his original plan for us as he “makes all things new”. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

SJ