Advent 2017: The Waiting Place

I interrupt my “regular” baby adventure for the yearly Advent Blog. I have been writing these Advent blogs for a few years now and the entire season of Advent is my absolute favorite time of year. Since the girls were small, I have made a point to teach them about Advent and the true meaning of Christmas, so much that I never did the whole “Santa Claus” gig with them. We have a really nice Advent calendar and behind each door are little pieces of chocolate that they get to eat after we read the daily verse. Seriously, we have been doing this for years. But this year, I decided not to put the calendar out. The girls asked why and I told them it’s clear that they are not at all interested in Advent. They are only interested in getting the chocolate candies behind each door during Advent. Then Rachel asks, “What’s Advent anyway?” 

 

Really? I’d typically call that a Mom Fail, but I refuse to accept responsibility for that bullshit. Where has she been all these years?

I’m back at square one of putting out the Advent calendar and watching Charlie Brown Christmas twice a week for the duration of the season.  “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” See, kids?!?! 

It’s the candles of Hope, Peace, Joy,and Love, respectively. But I can’t think about Advent without thinking about Waiting. That’s what Advent is. It’s a time of waiting and preparation. The discipline of waiting is almost completely lost in our society. We are almost incapable of waiting anymore. Everything needs to happen NOW and, if it doesn’t, we quickly switch gears and move on to the next.  But what if we looked at Waiting differently? The transitions that occur during our times of waiting are where all the beauty lies in our changes. I believe that Waiting is an entity and life of its own, and can be beautiful, like the moments just before the sunrise. 

There are a couple of things to consider when it comes to Waiting. One thing is the perspective waiting can give us. It takes our faulty and egotistical sense of control and puts us back to where we belong in the universe. Being in control and in charge of everything sounds good on paper, however that kind of power is something we are not equipped to handle.  It’s stressful and we inevitably fail. When the reset button is hit during times of waiting, we are reminded--oftentimes very unceremoniously--that we are not in charge. We can’t dictate the future, and thank goodness for that. As we wait, it helps to remember that when we are in charge of everything, that’s when we tend to screw up the most. 

Another thing about waiting is that it has a partner which cannot be forgotten or ignored. This partner also helps to give waiting its purpose. This partner brings a level of sanity as we experience The Waiting Place. This partner is Preparation. 

Waiting without preparation can contribute to feelings of hopelessness, lack of purpose, and loss.  Deliberate preparation is a sanity saver.  When we are preparing during times of transition, that’s when we can see and develop the true content of our character. That’s when our power and our strength get to shine. I don’t see your strength while you are standing on top of a mountain. I see your strength as you climb that mountain. As we climb our mountains and we encounter storms and foul weather, and we are forced to wait out these storms, we have options. We can sit there and do nothing except focus on the storm or we can prepare for what we are going to do when the sun rises again. Even resting is preparation. Rest, watch, wait, plan. Or, alternatively, work, progress, build the self, and be ready. Both approaches are preparation during times of waiting. I believe we are given the wisdom to know how to effectively wait, whether it be a restful wait or an active wait. 

Then, in addition to perspective and preparation, there is Faith. Faith is such a crucial element in sustaining us as we move through transition. One thing I have always resented hearing is the trite phrase, “Everything happens for a reason.” It seems like this is almost always said when life has turned into absolute hell;  when the pain is almost too much to carry and we are experiencing such profound heartache that it’s hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. Then, you get some “well-meaning” mouth-breather who offers those comforting and insightful words. I’ve always wanted to respond with my own comfort and insight during moments like those... but my words consist of an even shorter, more poignant phrase which leaves no room for interpretation. And those two words are not “Happy birthday.” I digress...

That sentiment is so horribly communicated, however, during Advent we are reminded of the events surrounding the birth of Christ. How scared must Mary and Joseph have been? And Elizabeth, elderly and pregnant with John the Baptist? All they had at the time was Faith. Faith that what they believed to be true was actually the Truth.  Even after the birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary would wait around 30 years to see that what the angel told them about their son was the truth. 

We can’t just hope that things will get better. We have to have faith. We have to believe that there is a purpose for our lives and our moments--all  our moments. We have to have faith that the purpose is good, regardless of the events that transpire. This faith, this belief, is what helps us to prepare for the next part in our story. 

Advent: prepare with faith in your hearts that your Waiting Place has a purpose. Your Waiting Place has meaning. Your Waiting Place carries your soul from where you are to where you belong. Your job is to be ready for whatever lies in store for you, whatever it may be.