Waiting.

So many emotions accompany the experience of waiting. 

 Excitement.  

    Impatience. 

         Anticipation.  

            Fear.  

                Boredom.  

                    Disappointment.  

                        Hope.

The saying "Good things come to those who wait" has some truth to it.  Waiting for cookies to bake is one of those good things that is so worth waiting for!  Patiently anticipating the arrival of an airplane carrying loved ones to visit is another example (and with today's flight challenges, waiting is very possible!). 

Probably the ultimate experience of the reward for waiting is the birth of a baby.  Months of preparation, growing, discomfort, anxiousness and then finally labour!  How many expectant mothers have painfully given birth, only to be so thrilled and in love with the long-awaited child?  The journey of waiting was worth every finger, every toe, every eyelash of pure delight!

Waiting for the Messiah - the One God had promised would be the Deliverer, the Hero that Israel needed - was a very long, painful and desperate journey for the people of God.  Every generation hoped that it would during their lifetime that the Messiah would show up on the scene.  When Jesus Christ finally arrived, the Jewish people were divided about Him.  Some thought He was just another self-proclaimed prophet.  Others expected Him to be the political leader that would deliver them from the Roman occupation of their land.  Still others ignored Him or wrote Him off as insane!

The beautiful thing about Jesus is that He came to be the Saviour of the world, not just for the nation of Israel.  He came to deliver from sin, not from political oppression.  His mission was to save humanity if they would trust in Him.

Have you been waiting for something?  Have you felt impatient, bored, even disappointed that God hasn't given you that something yet?  

Or maybe you haven't known what exactly it is you need.  

Maybe you are waiting for Jesus.  Let me assure you He has come, and He is waiting for YOU to call on Him for what you need.

Psalm 130:5 "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word  hope..."

 Why do we celebrate Christmas?

I can think of many reasons NOT to make a big deal of Christmas:

~Jesus actual birthday is more likely in spring, not on December 24 or 25 at all

~The real reason to celebrate - Jesus' birth - has become overshadowed by Santa, elves, naughty & nice lists and magical expectations

~The emphasis on gifts, presents, surprises and extravagance is more about consumerism than giving

~The pressure on people to have big meals, gatherings, parties and other festive events is stressful

My antidote to all the distractions and self-imposed pressures is to focus on the simple things.  For one thing, I focus on people.  If I am writing a bunch of Christmas cards, I buy my cards on Boxing Day the year ahead and make a list of who I want to send them to.  As for decorating the house, I don't go overboard, just tasteful favourite items and a pre-lit Christmas tree (no muss, no fuss!). I want to enjoy the people, not worry about every detail being perfect.

 Now that our family is expanding with daughter-in-laws, we pick names amongst each other and then buy a smaller item for a gift exchange game.  The gift-giving is still fun, but we want to make the day about spending time together, not about the financial strain of over-spending.

When it comes to Christmas parties, concerts and events, we are not in that phase of school and church programs anymore.  But we intentionally choose the events we will go to  and make them meaningful.  We also love to host our family, whoever can come, at our house.  I am not so intent on making multiple dishes and every favourite cookie recipe; simple menu and let others bring some items to contribute to the meal and snacks.  It sure makes the pressure lighter!

This year, I am taking the time to write daily (we'll see how that goes!) to share Advent thoughts with my Blog fans. I want to focus on Jesus' birth and how to encourage others to keep their eyes on the prize!  I hope you can find joy in keeping it simple:  Jesus and people!  

 Candles.  Wreath.  The readings from Scripture.  Advent is a part of the church calendar, but not every tradition observes it in their worship services.

As a teenager, I began to take my faith more seriously.  I went to church whenever I could.  I joined the choir.  I attended a youth group and Bible study.  I paid more attention to what was going on in the services and began to wonder why things were done they way they were in various church groups.

The first Advent candle-lighting I observed was intriguing.  The minister in his black robe read Scripture.  He pointed out the three purple candles and what they represented.  The one pink candle stood for another theme.  And the white candle, pure and set apart, known as the Christ candle, represented Jesus the Christ.  Various members of the congregation would take turns lighting the candles on each of the Advent Sundays.  The darkened sanctuary with the glow of the Advent wreath made for a holy memory for me.

This season is a time of preparation as we come up on the event of Christmas.  

How are you preparing for Christmas?  Are you baking, shopping, cleaning, wrapping, decorating?  That is all part of the holiday and fun.

But the thing that really matters is the preparation of the heart.

"Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing..."  (Joy to the World)

If your church doesn't practice the observance of Advent, you can always do it on your own.  Look it up on the internet, see what supplies the Dollar Store can provide and make a special spot in your home to honour the coming of the Lord Jesus.

 Did you wake up this morning to a dark sky?  When you opened your eyes, did darkness greet you and you thought it was still nighttime?

If you live in the northern hemisphere, north of the 49th parallel, then you are approaching the winter solstice.  Depending on your location, you may be entering a time when there are more hours of night than daylight.  This can be a season of hopelessness and depression.

Do you turn on the TV news broadcast or read news headlines on your phone?  Does it feel like an assault of gloom and doom?

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the negative news and simply choose not to see or read about the homicides, the wars, the corruption and confusion in our world.  This may be denial on my part, but a person can only handle so much negativity before it swallows us up!

There is a scripture in Isaiah, chapter 9, that describes this condition.  "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined."  Isaiah 9:2  The people Isaiah is referring to is his own people, the nation of Israel.  But I would like to say that the whole world is experiencing darkness, deep darkness morally, relationally, politically, economically, spiritually...there is no group of people who is doing everything right!  More and more, the nations of the world are embracing selfish, greedy and evil lifestyles, rejecting the standards of right living and goodness that God has established.

The darkness can be subtle.  It is a gradual removal of light and hope and righteousness.  Immorality and evil creeps in slowly and even folks with decent lives can be unconsciously influenced by the downward spiral around them!

What is the answer?

The light that Isaiah refers to in the scripture verse is not a thing, not a scientific or physical beam of cosmic brightness.  This light is the Messiah, a promised leader who will bring truth and hope to this people.  Not just to the people of Israel but to the whole world!

Jesus is that light.  In John 8:12, Jesus Himself declares who He is.  Again Jesus spoke to them saying,  'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"  The awesome truth is that Jesus Christ already came to the earth and He has left His light here to shine.  But you may ask where is that light?  It seems pretty dim, not very impressive.

Jesus came and left His Church, His followers to continue to shine that light for the world to see.  He left His Word, the Bible, to provide truth and understanding, to give guidance on how to walk in this world that insists on staying in the dark!  

Will you set your eyes on Jesus, the light of the world?  He is offering His light to your darkness.