Not yet!

You take it on faith, you take it to the heart.
The waiting is the hardest part. –Tom Petty


Tom Petty, pop theologian, really got it right when it comes to Advent. The season seems to come earlier every year. Thanksgiving has been ingloriously shoved to one side. After all, Christmas is coming, right?

It’s true. Christmas is coming—but it’s not here yet. So let’s slow down and wander to the manger together. Instead of tearing into the Gift that awaits us, pause for a bit and admire the “packaging.”

Wait expectantly with Israel as we sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Feel the desperate longing in their hearts. When, O Lord, will you return to your children?

Listen with the shepherds. What’s that fresh, unusual sound? The gentle flutter of angels’ wings? Lifted voices of a cherub chorus? Understand the words by listening with the ears of your heart.

Hold your breath with Mary as Gabriel appears. Rejoice at the unexpected miracle of birth with Elizabeth. (Can you imagine? I can’t. I really can’t. . . .)

Study the skies. Set aside the busy-ness of this world and immerse yourself again in the Greatest Story Ever Told. Try to pretend you’re hearing it for the very first time. Be like a little child. Open your eyes to the beauty of the journey. Hold hands. Look up! Feel the warmth, the promise—the hope.

And no shaking that package ahead of time! It’s not Christmas yet!

Monday Giving thanks begins close to home. Give thanks to God for those in your life who are like family, whether blood relatives or simply dear friends. Choose at least one, and tell them how you feel. 1 Chronicles 16:1-36

Tuesday Consider sending a note of appreciation and thanks to someone you seldom see or speak with: a mentor, perhaps, or favorite teacher. Give thanks. Exodus 14:13-14

Wednesday As you prepare for Thanksgiving, reach out to someone who perhaps does not have anyone with whom to share a meal. Consider inviting someone to join you, or make plans to assist at a dinner for those in need, such as at St. Malachi. Matthew 25:31-40

Thursday If you choose to shop today, make an extra effort to be kind and generous with those whom you encounter. If (God forbid) you find yourself calling upon those who cannot take a holiday, thank these public servants for their dedication. Ezra 3:10-13

Friday If you choose to participate in Black Friday shopping, consider picking up an item for someone who cannot afford gifts this year. Give thanks for God’s generosity in your life. Psalm 119:89-96

Saturday Today is Small Business Saturday. If you choose to shop today, consider avoiding the Big Box stores in favor of a local merchant. Your business is a big “thank you.” Proverbs 21:3

Sunday Spend some time in quiet stillness and reflect on the waiting that lies ahead. Matthew 2:1-18


Life was always a matter of waiting for the right moment to act. –Paulo Coelho

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spiritual dehydration

  Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that is where I renew my springs that never dry up. –Pearl S. Buck   The past two years (at least) have been exhausting, haven’t they? We had a pandemic that physically left us anxious and afraid. Our churches, where we go for nourishment, were closed or online longer than we wanted—and even now, we are careful. Politically, we have been divided against one another, and those wounds are still bleeding in many cases. We need to take care of ourselves. And it’s never been more difficult. What to do? How do I make time in our busy schedules—for me ? The simple answer: Whatever it takes. Remember when we would fly to a vacation destination? How the flight attendant would remind us that if the cabin loses pressure, the oxygen masks would drop down out of the ceiling? And that before we offer to help anyone else, we need to have our own masks in place ? Good advice for life in general. Today: Pause. Take inventory ...
Read more

What are you waiting for?

  The waiting is the hardest part. –Tom Petty   We spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for the coffee to finish dripping. Waiting for the light to turn green. Waiting for the next available agent. It’s inevitable, really. We cannot always be first, and if we aren’t first, we’ll have to wait. But I think the more important thing is to ask yourself: How am I at waiting? Do I find myself getting anxious and fidgety? Am I worrying about things not going the way I really need them to go? Is my attitude rubbing off on people around me? The best way to wait is not to worry where we are in line, or gripe about wasted time. The best way to wait—is to be right there , in the moment of waiting. The disciples waited in fear; we wait in hope. Why not use this waiting time to pray? Welcome God’s presence into your heart. Ask God to bring you into the moment. Inquire what God would ask of you in this moment . Thank God for wisdom, patience, humor. . . . Take a d-e...
Read more

Don't be afraid.

Living is a great deal more than simply not dying. It is carrying out a mission, committing oneself to fashion some meaning that will attain eternity. –Leonardo Boff When asked, “What are you afraid of?” we offer a myriad of answers: snakes, spiders, flying in an airplane. But when pressed, many people, believers and non-believers alike, will admit that the one thing they fear most, at the core of their being, is death. Most of us enjoy having control over our lives, and frankly, we have very little control over, or way of knowing, how or when our earthly journey will end. And we have even fewer concrete answers about what will happen next. We have the profession of our faith and the occasional “crossing-over” story—but. No wonder death is near the top of that list. But sometimes, as I look around, it seems like people are less fearful about dying—and more afraid of living. Really cutting loose and enjoying our time together as human beings privileged to live in God’s am...
Read more