Waiting in Joyful Hope

 

How good are you at waiting? Waiting at traffic lights? In lines at the grocery store, ATMs or Service Ontario? There are amazing statistics about how much of our lives we spend waiting. Inevitably, we all need to wait. 

Is waiting an empty waste of time? If we believe it is, how can we reframe it to think otherwise? Each of us has experienced times we wait in dread and fear. Sometimes we wait in boredom. And there are times when we wait with excitement and joy.

Advent is a time of waiting - a time between the 'now' and the 'not yet'. We will soon celebrate Christmas and the knowledge that Jesus has come as Emmanuel - God with us - as promised.

As Christ followers, we wait during Advent and look forward to celebrating the fact that God loves us so much that he sent his Son into the world to save us. This waiting is far from empty; rather, it is full of the hope that God promises us as we prepare for Christ.

While we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus that has occurred, we also use the season of Advent to anticipate Christ's second coming. When Jesus comes again, the Kingdom of God will appear in its fullness. The just will reign with Christ forever and the earth will be transformed. During Advent, we wait in joy, in hope, and in anticipation for the wonderful event we are about to experience-the coming of Christ into our lives in new ways, the return of Christ in glory at the end of time. 

Consider using an Advent Calendar to help your family wait in joyful hope. Here is a link to 'not your usual Advent calendar' but one which challenges families to extend Gifts of Kindness.

 

Sources: www.loyolapress.com and kidscorner.reframemedia.com/media/pdf/KC-Advent-Calendar

Photo: tilecross.org.uk/wpimages/wp6c092427_05_06.jpg

 

C. Verbeek