The Joy and Pain in Waiting: Advent Thoughts

“What are you waiting for?” The phrase conjures up negative thoughts. In my mind’s eye, I see angry, hurried people, pushing, and prodding. Hurry up! Get a move on! Delays can be miserable. Waiting isn’t all bad though. There is both joy and pain in waiting.

As we wait, anticipation and expectation mount. Children wait for Christmas with great hope. Gifts will be opened, and delicious food consumed. We’ll wear nice clothes and hear stirring music as we join others at church. It’s a time of great celebration.

“What am I waiting for?” Rather than a negative thought, it is a good question to ask ourselves during Advent. What is your heart longing to see fulfilled?

Beyond the gifts and festivities, we wait for Christ’s arrival. We pause in expectation, we long for Him to come. That is what the Advent season is all about. It’s about watching and waiting, a time of anticipation. We know that He will one day come.

Watching for Daybreak

This morning, I woke before dawn. Taking the advice of Ruth Haley Barton, I sat in darkness. I watched for the morning light. While waiting, I prayed and worshipped. Allowing my heart to feel, I talked to Jesus about the areas of my life where I desperately need God to come.

As the morning dawned, the darkness outside was pushed back.

“Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” – Hosea 6:3 NIV

As I write today, I look out my window. The sun shines brightly now. It’s beautiful. Darkness is completely gone. The light has fully come.

Daybreak is a powerful symbol of hope. God will surely come into the dark places of my life. My Lord will not delay. I can trust that He will show up with His presence. Years ago, the long-awaited Messiah came. The Father sent the Son in the fullness of time.

One day Jesus will come again. We wait in expectation and hope for that glorious Second Coming.

Waiting in Darkness

For now, in some areas of my life, I still wait in darkness. I watch for Him to arrive in the places where I need Him most. In my places of pain, bondage, grief…I longingly wait.

What are the places in your life where you most need Him to come? Where you long for Him to show up and do His miraculous work?

This advent season, allow yourself to hope for His coming.

Are We Waiting Too Long?

We do not know when He will come again to Earth. Only the Father knows that. Nor can we know when He will come into our areas of longing.

Sometimes it feels like we wait a terrible long time for Him to answer, for Him to come. Our need feels like an emergency.

It feels like our financial crisis couldn’t get worse than it is. The painful broken relationship seems to have hit rock bottom. Sickness ravages the body of the one you love. Perhaps you are still waiting for that visa to be issued or for God’s clear direction about your next steps. It’s not easy to wait when it feels like God should act now.

Trust Me, I Will Come

Mary and Martha must have felt the same way when Jesus didn’t come to heal their brother. Did He wait too long? Their brother died.

Without Lazarus’ death, the great miracle of resurrection would not have happened. The glory of God would not have shone so brightly in their lives. God knew. They did not.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says that His thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways. My way is always to do it quickly. I want Jesus to show up now, to work now. But so often, He gently whispers…wait. I am coming. Trust me.

As you prepare for this season, watch and wait. Let anticipation and hope grow within. Be present to your longings, the places you need Him to come.

What are you waiting for this Advent?

I’d love to walk this journey with you if you’d like to share those things in the comments below, on the Missionary Life Facebook group, or by email. It’s good to share our longings with others so they can hope with us.