What are you waiting for? (Advent Week 1)
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: unsplash.com
What are you waiting for?
We are all waiting for something. I am waiting excitedly to become a grandma. I’m waiting for a few hard relationships to get easier. I’m waiting for a new dream to unfold.
As Advent begins we enter a period of expectant waiting. Traditionally, Advent is a sober season of reflective waiting, hope and spiritual preparation. Waiting on God is a familiar theme in scripture. In fact, the words wait and hope often appear in close proximity to each other.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
When I examine my life, I’m sad to say that my waiting isn’t often tied to hope. Sitting through a red light, my waiting is often filled with irritation. Did you know the average red light is only 75 seconds but the wait feels so long! We are not accustomed to waiting.
This year I’ve been practicing waiting with hope. In seasons and situations of waiting I have tried to cultivate an awareness of what I’m actually tying my waiting to (often it’s fear or impatience). Then, I ask God to replace that with hope, realizing that hope is the person of Jesus. He waits with me.
Try this, choose a morning to get up before the sunrise. Position yourself where you can see dawn break, or at least see the sky turn from dark to light.
Sitting in the dark be honest with God about what your soul is waiting for. As you wait for the sun to rise what emotions do you notice rising to the surface? When the light breaks through purposely tie your waiting to hope.
May this be a season where your waiting and hope walk hand in hand.