Dear Grace Church Family,
Though the season of Advent is the season of waiting, the concept should not be foreign to us. There is something we are all waiting for in life. Maybe you have been waiting for a new job, maybe you are waiting to pay off some debt that has been piling up, maybe you are waiting to feel less heartbroken over the loss of a loved one, maybe you are waiting for one of your children, maybe things have just not been going your way, and you have been waiting for all in the world to right itself. Waiting is not something we would sign up for, but it is something we all should know about.
A friend of mine has been hoping to adopt a child. It has been a long and enduring process. She has asked some of us in my friend group to wait with her. She recognized what we all know, but don’t always claim. She recognized that having a circle of people waiting for her in prayer gives her the strength to endure the wait for the beautiful child who will one day join her family. There have been moments during my prayers for her that I have wept, wanting the next steps in her adoption process to unfold for her. If I could make it happen for her I would, but I can’t, so we wait.
As I wait with my friend, I reflect on the promises of God that have already come true. I think about other seasons of waiting and how God showed up in unexpected ways that brought awe and wonder. I reflect on other ways I pray God will show up in our world and I wonder about the invitation to us all to actively wait to work towards the world we hope will be one day, a world filled with peace, hope, love, and joy. The world that Jesus was born into was a world full of darkness, a world waiting in the promises of something more. They needed light, as much as we do, when we are in touch with our deepest needs.
Come Lord Jesus, come…
The scripture for the second week of Advent are the words of John the Baptist imploring the people to prepare the way, (Luke 3:1-6).
I invite you to be in prayer this week about what it means for you to prepare the way for Jesus in your life. Sit in front of some lights and let this question simmer in your spirit.
I so look forward to our first Christmas together, but until then we wait in hope, peace, joy, and love…always love.
As always, I am grateful to be…
With you on the journey,
Pastor Michelle