I appreciate the season of Advent – not just for the joy of Christmas parties, decorations, carols, eggnog, gift-giving and receiving, and celebrating the holiday with family and friends, but also for the longing and anticipation that comes with the Advent season. I’m grateful being reminded that the joy of Christmas and the reality of Christ’s incarnation only happened after Israel waited and anticipated for hundreds of years for the Messiah to come. Even in times of desperate longing, in times where their nation was being oppressed and ruled by other nations, they waited with expectancy for their Messiah to save them.
Advent also reflects our own waiting. As the Israelites longed for their long expected Messiah to come, we wait for many things. We wait for the Second Coming of Christ, when He comes in His full glory. We wait for when suffering and pain ends, for the joy of when we can fully be with Christ. And then there are other things we desire and currently wait for. We wait for our sick loved one to be healed. We wait for a broken relationship to be mended. We wait for a job to open up. We wait for our unbelieving friend or family member to come to the Lord. We wait to experience the Lord’s presence again in our spiritual lives which feel dry and desert-like. We wait for our own growth and maturity as we find ourselves in the same self-defeating patterns. Waiting can be painful at times.
I honestly hate waiting. At restaurants, I want my food to come quickly because I am hungry. I want a friend to text me right back with a response. Our society of Insta-everything has also made it even more difficult to wait. Since I’m an overacheiver by nature, I want things to get done quickly and efficiently. I want things to be fixed and mended. I want my own weaknesses to be resolved. I want to know what the future will hold, where I am supposed to go, and what to do next. I am constantly busy, on-the-go, going from one thing to the next, and it is difficult for me to wait. It is difficult for me to rest. Even my thoughts are constantly analyzing situations, thinking about the problems, and how to improve things, which often causes anxiety. And the only thing that really keeps my analytical and introspective mind from going down the spiral of despair, is allowing the Lord to enter into the frenetic chaos of my thought life. It’s here where the Lord reminds me and assures me of His gentle loving presence and peace. It’s here that I know that I am fully loved, even in my anxiety and fears. It’s here that Emmanuel – “God with us” becomes real. It’s here that He assures me that no matter what happens in this life, that He is with me. It’s here that I can find comfort in the waiting because of His presence. He doesn’t always take away the anxiety and fear, but He does let me know that He’s with me while I’m waiting, and this gives me hope.
For the past few years, I’ve been using Creighton’s University’s Praying Advent devotionals to meditate on the truths of Advent, and to find stillness and rest in the frenetic chaos and busyness of the season. These readings and prayers help calm my anxious soul, and refocuses me to look to Christ. It also reminds me that I am celebrating Advent with the Church and a greater community of believers. I started using Praying Advent a few years ago, during a really dark season of my life, when it was difficult for me to sense God’s presence, and it was helpful to be reminded that His presence was a reality, despite what I was feeling. I continue to use these devotionals as a way to intentionally enter into the season, to pause and reflect on the meaning of “God with us.” For someone like me who is already quite introspective, it is helpful to stop looking at myself, and instead, to lift my eyes to the Prince of Peace.
This past week, which was the Third Week of Advent, reminds me to prepare my heart for the joy of Christmas. It helps me see the good things that are coming, and to rejoice and be grateful in all circumstances. I can often be quite critical of myself and others, that I miss the joy and good things that are happening. Being reminded to rejoice always, in every situation, helps me to fight for joy, and to notice and celebrate the good things in me and others. Even amidst the difficulties of life, there is so much to be thankful for, and as we approach Christmas, there is so much to rejoice in the reality that Christ has come and that He is with us.
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