Waiting for Benjamin

It is the time of year when we think about the first coming of Jesus as a baby, but recently I had an experience that made me think much of His second coming. Ironically, it was connected with the birth of a baby boy.

My friend Sara asked me several months ago to be present at the delivery of her third baby. I gladly accepted. The Sabbath before her due date I was talking with her at church and she told me how they were eager and ready. The baby room had been prepared a month before. Projects around the house had been completed that needed to be done before the baby’s arrival. The bag for the hospital was packed and ready to go. Each day everything was planned so if the baby came that day or night they were ready. Expectancy was the key word in their home.

As life would have it, the week of her expected delivery was an insanely busy one for me. I had numerous Bible studies, had to babysit a friend’s children, spent many hours trying to complete a recording project for the upcoming Christmas cantata, and had to prepare for a training seminar at Camp Au Sable on the weekend. I kept thinking to myself, “I hope the baby doesn’t come today. I have so much to do! I hope the baby doesn’t come till after this weekend.”

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Isn’t this the same attitude too many Seventh-day Adventists have toward the Second Coming? As Adventists we are heralding the soon return of Jesus. We talk about it. We preach about it. We sing about it. We give Bible studies about it. We don’t know the day or hour but we know it has to be very soon. At the same time many are perhaps unconsciously hoping it will be delayed. Lord, can I finish this college degree first? Lord, can I get married first? Lord, I want to build my dream home! Lord, I want to first travel the world! Lord, I have so many plans. Can I do some of these before you come? Lord, come soon but not too soon!

All the while Heaven is waiting expectantly to bring us home!

Ps. Unfortunately, I was not able to be present at Benjamin’s delivery. He was born by Cesearan as his heart started racing during labor. He spent over a week in ICU due to an abnormality in his heart where it would begin beating some 300 times per minute. With much prayers and some medication, he is doing fine now and is now home receiving love from daddy, mommy, and his two older brothers.