Await my soul

 (Today marks the beginning of the season called Advent.  Four the next four weeks I will be posting two Advent writings every Sunday as we approach Christmas.  Joining me in this effort is my dear friend, Scott Elliff from Corpus Christi, Texas.  We eagerly anticipate the coming of the Christ child with you.)

 Christmas is coming – have you noticed?  Lights are up, wreaths hung, Christmas trees are fully decorated and the stores are swarming with people shopping.  I already feel the peer pressure to ‘get decorated’.  Currently, I have a crooked, naked tree standing in my house.  It has lights on it but no decorations and there it awkwardly stands waiting for further attention. Waiting for someone to notice.  I’m pretty content to just let it wait…

However, when my children were young the tree was never waiting for long.  Every Christmas box was brought in and opened on the spot.  Every box within the box was opened and squeals of delight could be heard throughout our house.  The discovery of an old ornament, a memory retold, there was laughter and joy.  We were caught up in the delight of what was coming.  The exciting ‘wait’ of Christmas had started.

So these days, the house is quiet and the tree awaits my touch.  The wait of Christmas has started but in a less than dramatic fashion.  Which is good…

Henri Nouwen shares these words,

“I keep expecting loud and impressive events to convince me and other’s of God’s saving power….Our temptation is to be distracted by them…When I have no eyes for the small signs of God’s presence-the smile of a baby, the carefree play of children, the words of encouragement and gestures of love offered by friends….”
“The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, He asks for my full attention.  The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises.”  Henri J. M. Nouwen, GRACIAS! A LATIN AMERICAN JOURNAL

On this first week of December I’m waiting with quiet attention.  I hope to protect my mind and actions from the insane going, doing and buying of this season.  Oh, how I want to wait with great excitement and anticipation for the coming of Jesus!  But I also want and need to wait in prayerful, meditative silence.  My soul needs those quiet moments to realize God's gift to our world.

    

I think I want to be like the tree standing in my den.  Content to wait, anxious for the beauty that will soon adorn me when He comes again into my world…and yours.  Will you actively wait in anticipation with me?

I wait for the Lord,my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord     more than watchmen wait for the morning 

Psalm 130:3-4