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Psalm 130:5-6 NLT

I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn…              

I recently returned home on the train with much work to do and a connection to make. As my train ground to a halt just outside my station, the guard announced that a train was stuck at the platform in front of us. I knew I had ten minutes to catch my connection, ten minutes used up stuck outside the station. I watched as my connection glided past our marooned train. In the past, this would have caused me to get very stressed, yet this time, after some initial annoyance, I settled to the reality that I now had an hour until my next connection.

Waiting is not something our humanity is wired to. We tend to keep ourselves busy; when there is some downtime, we flick on the TV to fill the vacuum. Advent is all about waiting in expectation for the arrival of Jesus. Unfortunately, Advent today is besieged by social gatherings, the need to shop for presents and food, and numerous seasonal events, all to be squeezed into already busy diaries. In the rush towards Christmas, time to pause for breath or thought are rare. The profound meaning of Christmas gets drowned out by the incessant Christmas tunes blasted in every shopping mall and the rising sense of panic that I won’t be ready on time.

Waiting is a theme throughout scripture. It helps us to recover perspective that we are not in a sprint but a marathon. It reminds us that our true purpose and identity is in Christ, and the busyness of life can so easily focus our attention on the many demands life hurls at us. So remind yourself that the journey of Advent is towards a stable, a place of worship and quiet consideration.

QUESTION: How can you make this Advent a meaningful approach to Christmas?

PRAYER: Lord, fill my heart with anticipation for the celebration of your Son’s birth.