It was already late in the evening, my husband should have been back, but he had not arrived. At that time, there had not yet mobile phones in our country, we were talking only through the heavenly phone.

I was looking out from the kitchen's window, to see the familiar Romanian Aro off-road car. My daughter, Blanka had been seeing my anxiety, and was reproofing me quietly: don't be afraid, mother, God will take care of him. She is deaf and dumb, and we are talking through sign-language.

Seeing my repeated looking out of the window, she stood before me and said: mother, let us rather pray, that God might guard him through his angels, and take him home.

We knelt all three in a circle, to see each other, especially to see Blanka, and we were praying by turn. I was trying to set down my anxiety and fears in front of the Lord, and to entrust my husband and the lives of all of us into God's protection. My son, Benjamin was praying, with the simple heart of a child (he was 7-8 years old), than it was Blanka's turn to pray. She was praying through sign language, and we were watching her with open eyes, to see and understand what she was saying. While she was praying, we could hear the wellknown tractor-like noise of the car from outside the house.

As Blanka was saying Amen, my husband was already up in the room. She opened her eyes and saw her father in the door. She was cheered up, her eyes were shining: do you see - she explained -  we were only praying a little, and God was taking him already through wings of angels. There was full joy in our little family.

I cannot forget the story. Is a little example, of what it means to pray and wait with a child-like faith.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief (2 Pet 3:9-10) - we read from the Scripture.
 
The coming of the Lord is sure. It does not depend whether I am waiting for Him or not. Waiting for somebody is not always pleasant. It is sometimes testing our patience, or it causes anxiety, and we are questioning: why is he late? He should have already arrived.

Sisera's mother was peering through the window and asking: why is the chariot not coming? Her lady servants were reassuring her: probably he was dividing the spoil. But Sisera was not coming back. As Israel's enemy he fell in the war. God was bringing salvation for His people through a woman's hand, during the Judges.

He was sending the Saviour to the earth through a virgin: but when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman (Gal 4:4). He does not delay his promises. The Son of God came in time and will return according to God's time. When will he return? When will I meet Him? Everything is included in God's wise plan.

I am wishing to all my sisters an advent time waiting in the presence of the Saviour, blessed holidays through His light - a blessed New Year.

Erzsebet Vekas, December 2011