Interminable Waiting/Glorious Ending

Her cell phone fell out of her pocket and made a splash in the water; a circumstance dreaded by all cell phone users – cell phone in the toilet. Wondering if it would still work after it’s momentary baptism, Carolina turned it on. The phone made a slight sputtering, feebly performed one task, then, fell silent. It was dead.

Her cell phone fell out of her pocket and made a splash in the water; a circumstance dreaded by all cell phone users – cell phone in the toilet. Wondering if it would still work after it’s momentary baptism, Carolina turned it on. The phone made a slight sputtering, feebly performed one task, then, fell silent. It was dead.

What would she do? What could she do? She needed to communicate with her husband in Switzerland as to when she and their new baby daughter would join him. Many more days had passed than they originally anticipated. Francesco, who had moved there a few months before to begin his ministry job worked tirelessly through all kinds of bureaucratic red tape to secure the proper documents for his wife and baby daughter to join him. His efforts seemed endless. Many phone calls had transpired between them. Now, they only lacked one document – the visa.

Carolina’s mom and dad had come from El Salvador to stay with her and their new granddaughter. They were there to help with this transition and to see them off, if the coveted, final, necessary document ever arrived.

She could use her dad’s cell phone.

Her waiting now seemed interminable. She began to wonder- would it ever happen? Would she ever be granted the necessary visa? Their newborn daughter was growing and changing almost daily. How many more days would transpire until they could leave? Would it be so long that their daughter might even be walking?

Carolina went to bed that night with a heavy heart; how she longed to be with her husband. It seemed very dark that night.

Early the next morning, she awakened by the ring of a phone. It was 5:30 a.m. Groggily she tried to make out which ring it was – her dad’s? Her friend’s in whose home they were staying? Becoming more awake she realized the ring was coming from her purse. It was her cell phone. She figured it was just a malfunction making that ring, since the phone was dead. The ring was persistent. She had better answer it.

“Hello.” The phone was working. “ Hello,” said Francesco on the other end. “Hello,” she said, quite startled that her phone was actually functional and that it was her husband. She was very excited to talk to him; but as before, each conversation made it harder to be apart. This would most likely be the same.  All of a sudden she heard him say, “I have your visa!”

How like God’s working, this situation is. Often it seems the darkest just before dawn. Often when we feel we can stand it no longer, God intervenes and brings us to a “landing place” I Corinthians 10 refers to. And, most often, He uses broken vessels from which to highlight His glory and His wonderful message of good news. Broken vessels that are totally useless until God enlivens them.

As I am posting this, Carolina and Anasophia are boarding a jet to fly across the Atlantic to join Francesco in Switzerland in just the exact time God intended. Soon their waiting will be over. Praise be to God for His incredible ways.