It is spring here in Sydney. Having just returned from an overseas holiday, I was surprised to find the flowers at home in full bloom. What amazed me most was that one of my moth orchids had also flowered—it had somehow survived four whole weeks without any watering! Although its leaves were curled and shrivelled, it had produced a dozen or so flowers. As soon as I put down my luggage, I watered it, and over the next few days, I watched its leaves gradually become plump and firm again. I had actually bought this orchid from the clearance section of a florist last year. I suspect it was discounted because it had just finished flowering; at the time, it was only a small plant with two or three leaves. Ever since bringing it home, I had wondered when it would bloom and what its flowers would look like. I never imagined I would have to wait more than a year, but now my questions have finally been answered: its flowers are a beautiful pinkish purple.
Waiting is a familiar part of life, even though modern society places an ever-greater emphasis on speed. While I was on holiday in China, some online grocery orders could be delivered within one or two hours, leaving me amazed at the speed and convenience of the services there. Speed is a good thing, but pursuing it too eagerly can make us impatient and restless, causing us to overlook the value of patience and faith. As Christians, God often teaches us to wait patiently. Waiting is part of the Christian life: we wait for Christ’s return, and we wait for God to accomplish His work.
Waiting does not mean doing nothing. During the year I spent waiting for the orchid to bloom, I had to care for it, water it, learn about its needs, and make sure it remained healthy. Likewise, as we wait for God to work, we must continually tend to our spiritual lives, asking ourselves whether we are spiritually healthy. Looking forward to the orchid’s flowers and wondering what they would look like motivated me to keep caring for it even before it bloomed. If we also look forward to God’s work with expectation and hope, we will be encouraged to persevere in reading the Bible, praying, and depending on Him until we see His work fulfilled.
Sharing the gospel is also a process of waiting. Although we always hope that those we share it with will soon come to faith, the outcome is in God’s hands, not mine. It is like watering a plant and loosening the soil, time after time, until it finally blooms. My part is to wait actively and continue nurturing—making the most of opportunities to share my testimony, show love, and pray earnestly for them—until God’s good purposes are fulfilled in their lives, revealing His mercy and glory.
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現在正值雪梨的春天，剛從海外度假回來的我，意外的發現家裡的花盛開了。特別令我驚訝的是有一盆蝴蝶蘭也開花了，硬生生撐過了沒有任何澆水的四周！雖然葉子已經捲曲乾癟，花卻開了十來朵。我一放下行李，立刻給它澆水，過了幾天，看到它的葉子漸漸飽滿起來。其實，這盆蝴蝶蘭是去年在花店的打折區買的，打折的原因我猜是因為它的花剛謝了，當時看到的時候只是小小一盆，有2-3片葉子。買回來以後我一直好奇，它要什麼時候可以開花？會開怎樣的花？沒想到一等就是一年多的時間，如今我心裡的好奇終於有了答案，原來它的花是粉紅偏紫色的，很美麗。
等待是我們生活中很常見的一部分，儘管現代生活越來越推崇快速迅速。在我回中國度假期間，有一些網路超市的採購，可以在1-2個小時內送到，讓我大感國內服務的超速和便利。快捷是好的，然而過於追求快捷卻容易使人浮躁，忽略了忍耐和信心的價值。對基督徒來說，神常常讓我們操練忍耐等候的功課。基督徒的生活伴隨著等候，等候基督的再來，等候神成就自己的工作。
等候不等於什麼也不做。在等待蝴蝶蘭開花的一年間，我必須維護它，給它澆水，觀察它的習性，並確保它在一個健康生長的狀態。基督徒在等候神的作為的時候，也必須常常維護我們自己的屬靈狀態，看我們的屬靈狀況是否健康？對於蝴蝶蘭的開花保持著期待和好奇，激勵我在還沒開花的日子裡不斷地維護它。如果我們對神的工作也保持著期待和盼望，那也會激勵我們堅持讀經禱告，堅持依靠神，直到看到祂的作為成就。
傳福音的過程，也是一個等待的過程，雖然我們總是希望福音對象可以早早信主，然而事實上這件事在神的手中，不在我的手中。因此好像一次次的澆水和鬆土，直到花開。我需要做的，也是積極地等候和維護，抓住機會分享見證，表達愛心，熱切代禱，直到神的美意在他/她身上成就，彰顯神自己的憐憫和榮耀。
