Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave a clear command: make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Then He rose to the right hand of the Father.

As the disciples stood staring into the sky, angels reminded them — He’s coming back, and there’s work to do.

The Church has followed that call ever since.

And yet, as the years go on, it’s easy to wonder, “Are we there yet?”

Like children in the back seat, we grow restless. We long for the return of Christ. We long for peace. And sometimes, it’s hard to wait.

When we read the genealogy of Jesus, often read on Christmas Eve, it shows how long it took from the promise in Genesis to the birth of the Savior.

Patience was required then, and it’s required now.

When we face suffering, loss, or evil in the world, we cry, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.”

And God hears. As Peter reminds us, the Lord is not slow in keeping His promise but patient, desiring all to be saved.

A widow once said, “It’s been a long blink,” remembering her husband’s words before he died: that they’d be reunited “in the blink of an eye.”

That longing, that ache, is real. But so is the promise.

So don’t despair. Christ will return. He hears your prayers. He remembers you.

The trumpet will sound. The dead will be raised. And we will be with Him — bodily, joyfully, eternally.

Contributor Merritt Demski is the Pastor at St. John’s in Alta, Iowa.

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