Love’s Delay

My birthday present from Mom and Dad Gretencord arrived late last week.  What a treasure!  It’s Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s St. Therese, A Treasured Love Story.  In this collection of talks he gave on the centenary of her birthday in 1973, he talks about the spiritually of the Little Flower and gives us guidance to our own journey to heaven.

One of my favorite chapters thus far talks about Love’s delay.  Love is not immediate and scripture reminds us to “wait upon the Lord.”

The Lord is waiting to show you His favor. He yearns to have pity on you, and happy are all who wait for Him. (Is 30:18)

Sheen reminds us of St. Therese’s delay in entering Carmel and her disappointment.  However, handling it like a saint, she was resigned to the fact the our blessed Lord was not interested in her being there yet. 

Sheen futher points out some of the delay’s of God’s love in scripture:  Noah builiding the arc waiting for the flood while others thought him crazy; Abraham and Sarah waiting to be blessing with a child; and Martha and Mary waiting for Jesus to help a sick Lazarus who then died.

The point is we must be persisent in our love even when there is a delay.  “So the Lord sometimes does not give us all that we want.  But even when we do not receive it, we can find a divine answer…”

After reading this chapter and reflecting on my single life, and Adam and my married life, I see Love’s delays and I rejoice in God’s divine plan and how perfect it is.