Anticipation

Waiting is such a glorious experience. HA! Yeah… not really… unless you’re waiting for something that is glorious. Think of awaiting the opening notes of a concert, or getting the time to sit down and read the book that just arrived, or when everyone is coming over for Christmas and you just feel like all the preparations are coming together. Those experiences of waiting are much better than standing in line at the DMV, or going through the rigmarole of signing up for classes, dealing with any aspect of Social Security, or getting that Venti salted caramel mocha Frappuccino, with five pumps of frap roast, four pumps of caramel sauce, four pumps of caramel syrup, three pumps of mocha, three pumps of toffee nut syrup, double blended with extra whipped cream at Starbucks. The whole point of Advent is waiting… and it should be more on the glorious side than on the demanding side. It should be one that fills us with joy that grows. There was a time when Advent was practiced by monks in monasteries and included staying up all night in prayer, walking barefoot in a circle while reciting Biblical passages, and fasting at least 3 days each week. All of that was done to promote a sense of cleansing in repentance, and for many this also included baptism on Christmas Eve. This may not be our sense of joyous expectation, but their example does lead us in the direction of thinking over how important this day and season is to us. Waiting for Christmas can become ever greater for us as we practice anticipation through Advent. So, take advantage of the time and remind yourself of the goodness of God in your life. It’s way better than a Frappuccino. Blessings, Geoff