What Are We Waiting For?

Ivonne J. Hernandez invites us to find courage in imperfect moments and let God’s love shine through our everyday witness. 

Called to Witness: The Power of Vulnerable Love 

Have you ever been asked to do something you think you are not very good at? Perhaps it is public speaking or singing. Maybe we’ve been asked about our faith, and we don’t think we have the right words, or enough education to answer properly. How often do we forward someone a YouTube link as an answer rather than sharing what’s in our hearts? When someone comes to us, they are not looking for information; they are looking for connection. They are looking for a witness to point them in the right direction. 

We are built for witness. Whether we are giving words to our experience or being the one listening, bearing witness is a powerful experience. To bear witness is “to show that something exists or is true” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). And when we get to “witness” someone “witnessing to love,” our hearts respond. Sometimes we bear witness with our words, but let us remember that love is a verb. This kind of witness often transcends words — it is found in the quiet, vulnerable offerings of the heart. 

Imperfect Gifts, Perfect Love 

When a priest for whom singing is not a gift sings during the liturgy, my heart is deeply moved. It feels as though I am witnessing a very intimate moment between Jesus and His priest, a moment of pure love. It reminds me of a child’s Mother’s Day gift that comes as a messy kitchen and half-burnt toast, but is really a gift of love. In these moments of vulnerability, the imperfectness of the gift is inversely proportionate to the perfectness of the love. 

“The gift of self is the only proof of true love.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard, The Real Presence) 

Moments that pull at our heartstrings are a gift from God. When we allow the notes to resonate in the chambers of our hearts, they expand our capacity to love. It is as if when God knit us in our mother’s womb (Ps 139), he left strings hanging from our hearts on purpose. Strings to bind us to one another, strings to guide us deeper into his love. 

“I drew them with human cords, with bands of love." (Hosea 11:4) [Yet] "they did not know that I cared for them" (Hosea 11:3). 
 

Thy Kingdom Come 

So many broken hearts need to hear that “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons” (Matthew 10:7-8). This is what we are told to do, but how can we do this if we forget who our healer is? If we forget to look for Him on the Cross?

It is in the ugliness, the messiness, the vulnerability of the Cross, that we see the perfect love of God. Let us look at the Cross and allow our hearts to be pulled, stretched, and tugged, until, becoming completely vulnerable, we share the gift of our very selves for love. What are we waiting for? 

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Copyright 2025 Ivonne J. Hernandez
Images: Canva

This article was first published in the Elisheba blog. It is published here with permission.