The art of waiting in the Van den Berg Family (De Poolse Bergen)
After a major earthquake, the destruction is often enormous. With indescribable material but also large personal and emotional damage – people suffer.
After the earthquake in the “Poolse Bergen” of September 2022, the material damage was not too bad – our house is still there, with only that difference that we no longer live there, since April this year it has been rented out.
No, the real issues are on the emotional, the psychological level. Damage assessment seems to be concluded there, with the rather clear conclusion that damage is too great for carrying out repair work. Cleaning the debris, on the other hand, is still ongoing. How could something new ever be built if the plot would not be delivered ready for construction?
And all this takes. No idea how long. And the wait is often tough.
In October I had the privilege to preach in Poznan International Church on the art of waiting. Based on a series of examples of heroes from the Old Testament I could explain that waiting, often waiting for years, is an inseparable part of the preparation for a new, big step. For example, Moses walked, seemingly quite pointless, for 40 years behind sheep in the desert before God thought he was ready to lead the people of Israel.
As usually this sermon was mainly for myself. At a certain moment I’ll be able to build – but until then I’ll have to put into practice the fragment I closed the sermon with, Psalm 27:
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
