Advent Reflections

Advent is here!  

It’s my favorite time of the year.  I love the decorations, the lights, the music, the movies.  More than all those, I love the family time!  

There is so much anticipation associated with this time of year.  We anticipate the season, the parties, the gatherings, and of course the gifts.  We also anticipate the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child and his return someday.

We often talk about waiting during this time of year.  Sometimes waiting is sitting in the waiting room, or waiting in the car, or for me it’s always been waiting for my husband or my kids.  Waiting sometimes feels like standing still. But during advent, I think we are called to a more active form of waiting, not just sitting, or just singing carols or decorating or… I think we are called to be active as we wait for Christ.  

Isaiah 64:1-2 talks about the signs that he is looking for to see God’s presence, to know God is with him.  Today, we are often encouraged to look for God’s work in the world, to see what God is doing among us.  What if, though, instead of just looking, we were actively waiting and actually being God’s work ourselves?  

What I mean is while we wait we can work to be the Kingdom of Heaven.  How do we do this? I think we all know how to do this, it’s a personal choice.  For me I think it will mean crocheting hats to donate to those in need. It will mean visiting some friends who are lonely, maybe picking up an extra toy or two for an Angel tree or Toys for Tots. I guess, for me, it means doing for others – friends, family, and strangers alike. 

We should be doing this all year long, of course, but I think the season of Advent is a great time to make up for where we might have been lacking during the year and start or renew habits to continue it throughout the year. 

I invite you to take some time and make a plan for your active waiting.  How can you make a positive impact on your community?  How can you share a little of the light of the season, a little bit of love and generosity?  It doesn’t have to be big, small gestures can make a world of difference to those in need.

Until next time ♥️…