A Season of Waiting

Merry Christmas Eve! As we celebrate this last day before Christmas, I am reflecting on this season of Advent we are in. Advent is defined as a ‘time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Jesus‘.

This definition is so powerful. Not only does it remind us of the true meaning of Christmas and the time leading up to December 25th, but I think is applicable in so many other ways as well.

It seems that if we have this designated time to prepare for the celebration of Jesus on Christmas, that we should spend time expectantly waiting and preparing for all the other celebrations we are believing for.

I have written about the topic of waiting expectantly and preparing many times, but this season of Advent seems like such a beautiful reminder. When I think of what Advent means, I’m reminded of Romans 8:24-25, If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. The longer we wait for something, the more joyful our expectancy.

The other day I had a friend mention something regarding our waiting that I thought was so encouraging, “I can’t help but think of the hundreds and thousands of years that Israel waited for the Messiah. Since Genesis a Redeemer was promised and they waited and waited. Thinking Abraham was it, then Isaac, then Jacob, and David…let down after let down (that they set themselves up for). They must have been so tired of waiting and I’m sure doubt set in. Until, in the most unexpected way, God showed up…in a manger! At the perfect time, in the perfect way. And He still does that.”

Shouldn’t we prepare for what we are waiting for the same way we prepare during Advent? As we wait for Christmas day to arrive and we celebrate our Savior let’s not forget the amount of time those in Israel had to wait for the birth of Jesus. God cares about our wait just as much as He did theirs. Although the outcome (our babies) won’t be as important as the birth of Jesus, there is purpose in our wait as well. God is wanting to birth the miraculous out of our wait, just like He did with theirs.