There was a cartoon where a child is asking his mother, “Why is the microwave so slow?” We live in an instant age: instant coffee, instant oatmeal, minute rice. But the problem with expecting something immediately is captured in a saying of Carrie Fisher: “The problem with instant gratification is that it takes too long.” Jesus and St. Paul both remind us that we can’t find the ways of God by simply adding water and stirring. Things take time. It takes time for that baby to come and you can’t rush it. It takes time for the mustard seed to grow before it ends up in the jar. It takes time for the dough to rise before you have bread even if the supermarket makes it seem easy. All of which reminds us that hope is a core Christian value. “In hope we were saved.” We should not feel discouraged when things seem to be going poorly. God isn’t finished yet, the baby is coming, the seed is growing, the bread is rising. Keep hope alive even in the midst of difficulties for God never fails.
