As we settle into Advent, we settle into waiting. Waiting, as an activity, is universally difficult. We don’t like to wait, and we certainly don’t like to be idle while we wait.
“Always bring a book,” my mother says.
I would add: “Always bring your cellphone charger, too.”
Waiting is hard enough already, so why make it harder by not bringing along some entertainment?
But, you know as well as I do: waiting at a doctor’s office or auto mechanic’s or for a table at a restaurant is much different than waiting for God to fulfill his promises.
For one thing, God take his time. He might wait decades, generations, millennia, to fulfill his promises (hello, Old Testament!). And then, once he does fulfill his promise, the fulfillment might look so much different than what you expected (hello, Jesus!) that you might just miss it.
What are we supposed to do with that?
Advent teaches us the answer: attentiveness to God’s action in our lives.
Advent invites us to slow down, pause, stop being in such a hurry, and to notice. What you do when you slow down is up to you. I like to journal, go for walks, or talk to Jesus in my heart.
But whatever you do, the key is to make room to slow down and notice what God is doing in your life, even if you’re waiting.
Make time to be kind to yourself and notice God, and soon you will see God’s kindness and providence everywhere—even in the waiting. — Carrie K. Miller
When our days are constantly filled with events we must attend, obligations we’ve agreed to, and to-do lists miles long, slowing down seems almost impossible. Of course, certain obligations are impossible to cut from our lives, even if we want to.
But for the next couple of weeks of Advent, what can you say “no” to, so that you can slow down enough to notice God?
Anything that is an actual obligation, like work or Mass on Sunday, needs to stay. So does anything you’ve spent actual money on, like a concert or trip. Other commitments are flexible. Remember: everything in life is changeable (except your vocation). What in the next few weeks can you reschedule, take a rain check on, or cancel completely?
And in case you need it: Here’s your permission to change your mind or your calendar. You’re allowed to change your mind.
Make time to be kind to yourself and notice God, and soon you will see God’s kindness and providence everywhere—even in the waiting.
Slow down, friend. Nothing is so important that it can’t wait until tomorrow, if hitting pause means you’ll get to notice what God is doing in your life today.
Go deeper this Advent and Christmas
Advent is already upon us, but I designed my Advent 2022 Resource Guide to offer plenty of resources to carry you into the Christmas season. Grab your free guide today by filling out the form below right now.
Treat yourself to solid resources that will make Advent and Christmas come alive for you in new ways.
