“Advent is a time to wait. Not quite time to celebrate. Light the candles one by one, ’till this Advent time is done. Christmas Day will soon be here, time for joy and time for cheer.”
All four of my children have come home from preschool singing this song during the days before Christmas. It’s a precious reminder of the season of Advent, which is a season of waiting.
And it made me think about all the people I love who are in a season of Advent, and waiting for their Christmas.
The woman expectantly awaiting the birth of a child in her womb.
The couple waiting for that little pink line, or a special phone call saying a child is ready for a home.
The unemployed who are waiting for the perfect job offer… or any job offer.
The ever-expanding family waiting for their too-small home to sell.
The family waiting to be reunited with their deployed love one.
Those waiting for good news from their doctors.
There are so many people in their Advent. It’s such a challenging time. We like instant answers and so being told we need to wait for the right buyer, for a job opening, for test results is exhausting and frustrating.
In Advent, the waiting for Christmas is “so hard” that we turn to Advent calendars with their daily little treats and trinkets to help soothe the strain of anticipation. But for those in these real-life waiting situations, a little chocolate doesn’t help.
So, this Advent, I challenge each of you to think of someone in their season of waiting, and carry them in your hearts in the hope that their Advent turns into Christmas joy very soon.
