When you are waiting you are without what you are waiting for. As a new grandmother I experience this absence in an intense way. On the second Sunday of Advent I had to leave my post as chief cook and bottle washer after Lila was born. It's a role every grandmother covets and carries out with the greatest of love.
Since I live several states away, I won't be
able to see her again for three weeks. During weeks three and four of Advent, I
will not only wait for Christmas, but also I will wait to be reunited with
Lila, this time with Grumps by my side; his wait to meet her is a little longer
than mine. Waiting to see Lila again puts me in touch with the intense ache of
being without what my heart longs for.
Perhaps this absence of what we most want is part of the reason we
distract ourselves from the spiritual gift of Advent. Maybe it is the angst of
waiting that compelled us to create fantasies of gifts, parties, feasts, and
endless shopping during the season of Advent. It's hard to feel the absence of
what you most desire when your mind is totally preoccupied otherwise.
When John the Baptist began preaching and baptizing in the wilderness, he was in the same state as we find ourselves at Advent. The Messiah’s coming had been prophesied hundreds of years before. and the state of Israel was desperately in need of rescue from the oppressive Roman government. It was a time much like our own. John, however, insisted that those who wanted to be ready to meet Jesus should focus on preparing and making their paths straight. He said:
When John the Baptist began preaching and baptizing in the wilderness, he was in the same state as we find ourselves at Advent. The Messiah’s coming had been prophesied hundreds of years before. and the state of Israel was desperately in need of rescue from the oppressive Roman government. It was a time much like our own. John, however, insisted that those who wanted to be ready to meet Jesus should focus on preparing and making their paths straight. He said:
In
those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven has come near. This is he who was
spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
Prepare the way for the Lord, make
straight paths for him (Matthew 3:1-2).
Clearly there are fulfilling spiritual tasks to
focus on in Advent. Advent is not just about twiddling your thumbs, waiting on
what you really want. Advent calls you
to active waiting. You will not miss
Advent if you prepare and make your paths straight. Traditionally these four
weeks before Christmas were days of fasting up until the Christmas Feast to
celebrate Christ's birth with great joy prepared for a hungry tummy, It's an
extremely difficult season to fast these days. In fact, you probably need to
eat a high protein diet to keep up with the physically demanding tasks such as
putting up Christmas lights, increasing your social life by attending parties
and all that shopping!
However, you can prepare and make your paths
straight by creating a quiet space just between you and your Lord each day of
Advent. You can read an Advent devotion,
or simply sit in front of your Christmas tree and ponder the miracle of your
salvation.
Copyright © 2016. Deborah R Newman teatimeforyoursoul.com All Rights Reserved.
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