Advent began this past weekend, a season of waiting and expectation for the coming of Christ. I decided this year to set an intention for Advent to try to be present and not allow it to get lost amidst the busyness of this time of the year. I’m on day three, and find myself contemplating what it means to wait. Each day we have opportunities to wait. We wait for the coffee to brew, the traffic lights to change, a meeting to start or perhaps be over or some activity we have planned after work/school. Sometimes we have opportunities for longer waits during which we prepare for months or even years. There is practical waiting such as saving up for a house or retirement. We wait for the regular trips to the gym to yield strength or the diet to help us gain better health. We wait also for matters of the heart. We wait for heartache to ease following the death of a loved one, healing after illness or the courage to make a needed change.
Scripture invites us to hope, to anticipate and to trust as we wait for God’s unfolding plan in Advent and beyond. Advent invites us into the mystery where we meet the familiar and the unknown. Advents call is an invitation to recalibrate our heart’s orientation more fully towards God. I find myself being called to do less in order to allow more space for quiet. In the quiet I increase the likelihood of hearing God and allowing my heart to trust God’s unfolding plan in my life. Creating and being quiet are challenging. Waiting is hard and often the last thing we want. Perhaps the gift of Advent is we create space and wait together. I pray that we each find ways to create space for God’s unfolding plan in this season of waiting and expectation.
