Matthew 17:1-13

Matthew 17:1-13 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  There are lots of overnight successes that are 20 years in the making.  I was reading a story yesterday about Pablo Picasso drawing on a napkin in his 90s at a cafe.  When he was finished, he went to throw it away and a woman asked him for it.  He offered to sell it to her for $20,000.  She was offended, since it had only taken him a few minutes to draw it, but he reminded her that it was 60 years in the making. 
  With our spiritual lives, we're all hoping and praying for miraculous event to occur, but we hope for it on day 1, and often we're disappointed if it hasn't happened by day 3.  We want Jesus to appear or God to speak in clear and decisive ways, and when that doesn't happen, we get discouraged and often let up on our spiritual disciplines. 
  Peter, James and John didn't witness the Transfiguration on the first day of following Jesus.  There were a lot of dusty roads, many hard conversations and some threats from the Pharisees in between their choice to follow him and this incredible moment of clarity.  If it was easy, there would have been a much bigger crowd present at the Transfiguration, but these three were willing to endure all the challenging moments because they saw things they'd never seen before and came to the realization that Jesus was exactly who he said he was, and that it was worth everything to follow him.
  So may we patiently endure a life of faithful discipleship, recognizing that God is at work in us and through us and around us, and the moments of affirmation and confirmation that may or may not come are wondrous gifts, but our faith rests on the firm foundation of what God has done for us, and so while we'll celebrate those moments when they happen, we will continue to show up and listen and pray and watch even if we're still waiting for them, because we know that God is faithful.