The Season of Waiting in a Year Filled With Waiting
With 2020 being arguably the most difficult year in the last decade, it seems like we've done a lot of waiting for the year to end, right? We have been waiting for a vaccine, waiting for the day we can travel freely, waiting for the day we can hug and kiss our loved ones without worry, and just waiting for this pandemic to be over already. And now, we're waiting for Christmas and the celebrations that come with the season. When I look back on the last few weeks, I can't help but wonder if I've been focused intently on the season of Advent with the same level of anticipation for Christ as I have been for other secular reasons.
Advent has been a great time for reflection, but it has also been a beautiful time to look forward as we wait for the coming of Jesus. During this waiting, we wait for the birth of our savior, and the celebration of this occasion each year. For many, waiting for anything is a difficult task. It seems so simple to think about, but so difficult to practice. Just wait and be good; certainly easier said than done.
The practice of intentional waiting and praying can do some wonderful things. Most notable is the ability to have us think about our desires and help us recognize whether those desires are important or not. In this particular season, our waiting and yearning should be focused on Jesus, right? It's not just about the presents and the decorations, or the food and drinks, and it's certainly not about sitting in a particular spot at church during Christmas Eve mass during a pandemic. I am in a particular spot where the excitement is pulling me toward the secular aspects of Christmas but I'm trying to keep my eyes on real prize: Jesus. I say this because I think many of you are in a similar spot, and it's up to us to be more intentional about resisting those temptations that the secular world is putting into our hearts.
If you feel like you're in a spot where the excitement for presents on Christmas day outweighs the excitement for the coming of Jesus, no one can blame you. This has been a rough year where it seems like the world has taken so much and has given so little that there needs to be some equilibrium. However, this season of Advent should be a good reminder to us that we should take this opportunity to refocus. If you have all of your Christmas shopping done and the presents are wrapped, let's take some time to refocus. I'm here to encourage you and tell you that we're doing this together, because even I've fallen into that trap.
With a few hours left in this Advent season, let's be patient and wait. Let's make a better effort to be more intentional and really think about what we desire for ourselves in the last week of this year. Let's be better about how we approach these Christian celebrations and do more to focus our minds and hearts on what's important. I'm working on it, and I'm guessing if you're reading this, you are too. We're in this together.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Love,
Khang and Camilla