Home Life Issues Sorrow and Grief In Times of Tragedy Waiting...

Waiting...

Perhaps as we wait and wade through these times of uncertainty, we will recognize God in our daily lives

On September 11, 2001, many in the world inhaled as devastating, life-altering, and extraordinary events unfolded in the United States; and, we began to wait. From where I sit, the waiting has at least two components: First, we "wait for…" We wait for information as we try to grasp and understand. We wait for the "why" to be answered as we seek clarity. We wait as faithful believers while co-existing with mixed thoughts and feelings, that justice will prevail and confirmation that our reality is now tinged with dread and anxiety.

Secondly, we "wait with…" We wait with the thousands whose direct losses are tragic and tangible. We wait with those who are simultaneously drawn to and repulsed by the play-by-play media accounts. We wait with those who seek confirmation or closure. We wait with people who spend their days wandering and searching for those who have vanished into thin air. We wait with those who grow weary from physical fatigue and emotional volatility. We wait with those who have sought refuge in America, but whose lives and livelihoods are now compromised because of religion and color of skin. The seams of diversity and freedom that once held up are now unraveling as we struggle with all the brokenness that intrudes in our lives.

Yet, even as we live in anticipation and agitation, people have exhaled and continued—in a half-mast sort of way—to attend to the ordinary. Perhaps it is in our ordinary routines…schoolwork, meetings, caring for our pets, taking a coffee break, daily meditation…that we are reminded in our waiting that God is always with us.

Copyright © Lenn Harris Milam