Advent Day 2: Waiting

So much of life is spent waiting.
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That’s neither good nor bad. It just is.
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Some waiting experiences are more significant, more exciting. A college athlete waiting by the phone on the day of the draft. A kid in line to ride their favorite ride at Disney World.
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Some waiting is less significant, less exciting. A tired parent preheating the oven. Anyone at the DMV.
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Sometimes waiting is terrifying. Waiting on the results of the biopsy, or waiting for the doctor to come out to tell you if the person you love made it.
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And the crux is this: waiting makes you vulnerable. For better or for worse, waiting on anything means that your expectations or hopes will either be met or they won’t.
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Waiting is a major theme in the tradition and story of Advent.
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Adam waiting for a suitable partner while naming the animals before Eve was pulled from his side.
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Noah and his family waiting for the flood waters to subside.
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Abraham and Sarah waiting into their old age for a son of their own.
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David waited to sit on the throne long after he had been anointed king.
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Captives in Babylon and Assyria waiting to be set free.
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A young, unwed mother, named Mary waiting to see if the son in her womb really would be Emmanuel.
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Whether Advent is part of your tradition or not, whether those stories are just stories to you or part of your foundation mythos, I hope you feel invited to wait with great hope. To see the blessedness of being vulnerable, and to posture your waiting as an invitation for the divine to act on your behalf in some small way.
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I’m waiting to see if the meek really will inherit the earth, waiting to see if the last truly will be made first (One of Jesus’ more subversive sayings).
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So wait with hope. Whatever it is that you are waiting on, dare to be vulnerable and hope for better things. Perhaps our waiting may serve as an invitation for the divine to show up.