Waiting on a promise

   Taking a que from one of my favorite St.'s in history, St. Ignatius of Loyola, I decided to spend Easter time meditation on scenes from scripture about Christ's resurrection. While doing this I had one scene in particular stick out and I wanted to share it.

   Let me start by giving you an idea of what this type of prayer is. Pretty much it is reading a scene from the bible and then imagining the scene. The way the scene would look, smell, or feel. The noises, the people and dress, time of day. And then the general attitude. Is it a tense scene, joyous, peaceful? Then place yourself in that scene. Interacting and being a part of the scene unfolding. Why would you do this? It is simply an exercise in hearing God.

   I had imagined the scene of Mary at the tomb. I read the scripture on this and seen that Peter and other disciples, when they hadn't found Christ, left the scene before Mary. I though the Lord would direct my thoughts to stay  and see an empty tomb. But, as usual, He was much cooler than that.

   I imagined I left the scene with Peter. We walked at first, then we began to run as I sensed that the local Roman guards might be looking for disciples. Suddenly (at this point the Lord was directing my thoughts and showing me pictures) I stopped under a tree on a bench and wept. God was directing my imagination now. I was so unnerved and upset at the fact that Jesus had died, but now even more so that Jesus' body was gone. It was like insult to injury. First the Roman's proved they could kill Him, then that we, the disciples, couldn't even control where His body was laid to rest.

   I had given up (oddly mirroring a part of my life at the moment) and Christ showed up next to me. Now, if you have read the accounts of Christ after His resurrection you will recall that most did not know it was Him until He spoke. Even now, we know Him by His voice.

   He sat next to me. He put is arm around me and touched my chest. He asked what was wrong and I said "Jesus has died and now we are left alone." Not realizing that it was Him sitting next to me.

He said "What have you heard in here?" The hand touching my chest was pointing inside of me.

I said "That You would rise in three days."

I see Him, then, with this look on his face of expectation. Waiting for me to realize that it is the risen Christ that is sitting next to me. I turn and He hugs me. The scene ends.

If you are waiting on a promise you must constantly remind yourself of the words He has spoken to you. What He has promised you. Many times we just need to wake up to the fact that He is fulfilling His promises while He is waiting for us to wake up.