Wait! I have a particular aversion to the word “wait.” It must be because of my inherently low levels of patience necessary to gracefully navigate times of waiting. This year I have been constantly reminded of my annoyance at waiting and my seeming inability to be patient.
The year began with my astutely observant mentor suggesting that patience might be a quality in which I should seek to grow. I recognized he was serious and apparently colluding with God when I ruptured my Achilles tendon a week later. So, for ten months I have been waiting and preparing to regain the full use of my leg and to acquire that elusive patience.
Ever eager to be helpful, my three-year-old son has seemingly determined to also assist me in these pursuits. He takes such joy and delight in helping me develop patience. I am amazed and rather impressed at his ability to respond to my summons by taking the most circuitous routes imaginable: down the stairs, over the couch, under the high chair, around the table—all while being able to insist that he is indeed responding to my call. How delightful a journey for him and how frustrating for this patience-lacking parent!
Like a callous that builds up over time, with repeated use and the rupture of a few blisters, so has patience been slowly growing in me. I am by no means in danger of being mistaken as the epitome of patience, but I have had opportunities to grow and reflect on the value of being patient amidst the wait.
If I’m honest, my most treasured experiences and possessions have come through a purposeful time of delayed gratification. The most significant growth has come in the liminal space between desire and fulfillment. Generally, the wait has been more valuable than the reward. Which is possibly why I’ve come to greatly enjoy and appreciate the season of Advent.
I was rather skeptical. Advent sounded rather liturgical, high-churchy, outdated, a relic from the past.
Advent is a season of waiting. I waited for Advent most of my life and only became aware of its existence several years ago. And at first, I was rather skeptical. Advent sounded rather liturgical, high-churchy, outdated, a relic from the past (a far cry from the persona I aspired to). But I was intrigued by the idea that I could gainfully redeem the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas with more than Black Friday shopping and family feasts. And so, I cautiously began my foray into this wonderful time. And it has been gripping my imagination ever since: a single Advent service on Christmas has turned into an Advent sermon series, an Advent devotional in our home, a greater enjoyment of the Christmas season, and of course—the wreath and candles.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, it is so easy to get caught up in the -isms: commercialism, materialism, emotionalism, etc. Advent tends to change our focus as we wait on Christ’s birth with anticipation. Advent is a liminal space! A time of waiting, a time of preparing, and a time of expectation!
Advent has a way of refocusing our hearts and reforming our desires toward Jesus. We focus on the hope, faith, joy, and peace found in the mystery of the incarnation and we long for the Second Coming of our Savior. And after all this time of waiting and preparation, when Christmas finally arrives, we find that the -isms have lost their grip. We are eager to focus our celebration on the one whom we’ve been waiting on for weeks—Jesus! Waiting, preparing, and developing patience have surprisingly led us to experiencing the goodness of God!
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
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Tonight at dinner, Ezra removed the top bun from his Sloppy Joe. I don’t know what he was expecting, but he immediately started screaming: “It’s broken!” In a misguided attempt to comfort him, Rachel removed the top bun from her Sloppy Joe. I don’t know what she expected, but this doubled his unhappiness. It’s good to know that the God we’re waiting for exceeds our expectations.