Wait!
He said, “Wait here!”
Then he took a walk
just a short walk
into the garden
to talk
with the one who sent him,
the one with him always.
They didn’t wait.
They slept.
They couldn’t even stay awake for a moment.
When has he asked you to wait?
When did you need time to sort things out?
When did you sleep? Forget?
And yet, every time, he comes back to you,
holds out his hand to you,
Forgives,
Loves,
Waits
for you.
–Margaret Simon
Reflection: This Spiritual Thursday post is reflecting on Holly Mueller’s One Little Word, Wait. I didn’t want to write about wait. I’ve recently had to wait through an injury, wait for healing to come. The healing has come but slowly. In the meantime, I had to be patient and understand that I could not be who I wanted to be while I was healing. Some days, many days, I had to stop and rest. I needed to wait. But I was frustrated; I didn’t want to stay here. In the moment I wrote the word wait, I imagined Jesus’s request of his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane to wait while he prayed. I realize that I can wait. And, like Mary Oliver, I will be blessed even if all I do is stand right here.
Interesting poem. I like how I don’t really know who is waiting, or who you are asking to wait. Thanks you for a lovely read.
Ah, Mary Oliver…love that quote! The Garden of Gethsemane story is a perfect one for wait, and I have to admit, I’m grateful for the stories in which the apostles fell short – it makes me more hopeful for myself! If they can be RIGHT THERE with Jesus and still mess up, well…. I’m glad your healing has begun. I know it was a hard wait!
A perfect example of being asked to wait… and a perfect example of how we, the imperfect, have difficulty with that!
I loved your poem, and the quote!
Waiting is so hard . . . you captured it so exquisitely!
That quote moved me so much this morning. I shared it as well. I always read your poems a couple of times. You pack so much into them. xo
Margaret, i am thinking of you as you continue to heal. It’s so hard when our bodies fail us. Hang in there. xo
Margaret, waiting to heal is a real trial and test of our faith. Your poem and Mary Oliver quote is a testament to us who wait that we must be patient, observant, and try to see the benefits of the action. The apostles struggled with the waiting time making us aware of our human fallacies. Moving beyond the human side to the spiritual is a way to immerse ourselves in the wait. May your healing period progress.
The end of your poem is so powerful. It reminds me of my upside down perspective. I think about God keeping me waiting–well, hello! How many times have I kept Him waiting yet still, as you say, He forgives, loves and waits for me.
I love the way Oliver’s quote weaves its way into your poem, Margaret.
I agree with Violet, those last few lines pretty much say it all. I don’t like to wait, but He is always there waiting for me. And lately, He’s been waiting a long time.
Waiting is painful and patience is tested. You poem switches it around to a positive. Waiting is someone with patience for another. And it comes from a place of grace.
Your comment is a poem. Thanks.
So beautiful, Margaret. Your poem, your reflection, and Oliver’s quote leaves me with such a sense of peace.
It is often so hard to be patient when we know what awaits us, as it is with you and your injury. This piece was beautifully done- a reminder that patience is a gift that we should return to those who are special enough to present it to us.
I love how you used Mary Oliver’s quote to launch your poem, and I love how you connected your poem to what’s going on in your life. You have had a long recovery, my friend. Waiting to heal is so hard!
The power and import of waiting. SO hard to do in our world of HURRY and WORK HARDER. Sometimes it really does call to us to wait. Giving it time is often the hardest thing of all. Lovely journey through your poem and process.
This post is such a blessing. I love the image of Jesus always returning to us with His hands full of forgiveness and love.