Lord of the Little While

When a child has been removed from her parents’ custody, a little while takes a long time.

In a little while, you can have a visit with your mom.

In a little while, you’ll be able to see your dad.

In a little while, you’ll be restored to them and able to go home. 

She has no concept of weeks, months, or years. She knows only that each minute isn’t spent in the right place or in her preferred company. Hurt compounds with every foreign sunrise and settles into grief with each displaced sunset.

Not only is she homesick, she is also what author Daniel Nayeri describes as “farsick,” missing a place and time she’s never seen before because she yearns for the pain of this little while to be removed forever. Even if she is restored, the memory of this little while will remain. Isn’t there a place she could go that would restore her and right the wrongs that hurt so much?

The displaced child’s plight pictures what each of us feels as we walk through this little while. Even on good days, we’re ready to go home.

When Peter wrote his letter to persecuted believers, he knew that they understood this little while very well.

He wrote, “In this [salvation] you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials…”

Jesus suffered for a little while. His word encourages us to “consider Him, who endured such things at the hands of sinful men so that you do not grow weary or lose heart.”

Like the Psalmist, Jesus could say that he ate “the bread of tears” and was “given tears to drink in full measure.” He knows what it means to suffer, but He also knows the temporal nature of suffering. It can’t continue forever; it can only go on for a little while.

The Psalmist prayed, “Let Your hand be on the Man of your right hand, the Son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself! Then, we shall not turn back from You; give us life, and we will call upon Your name!”

Jesus endured the little while as Savior and reigns over the little while as Lord so that we can have hope that His restoration includes a complete healing of every hurt, even every memory of hurt. 

When we go home, brothers and sisters, we won’t even remember this little while. 

Peter reminded his readers, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

His are not the empty promises of the temporary care-giver but the insured promises of a loving Father who is able to keep them.

Look around you, in a little while, we’ll all be going home. “Soon, and very soon,” the old hymn reminds us, we are going to see the King. Are you ready?