Today was the first Sunday of the Christmas season. It is the 4th day of Christmas. The past several Sundays were in the Advent Season, the waiting season.
Waiting is a theme that comes around in the Christian calendar because of the Advent season. In my home church, we had a 4 part series during the Advent season: "Christmas: Worth the Wait!" Several Sundays there were thought provoking nuggets that I wrote down and considered. I wanted to write, but I waited. My focus was on finishing my Fall semester well and working on Provisional Elder requirements.
Hebrew is likely the hardest course I have taken in my life. I have taken a handful of linguistic courses. I have taken Greek. I taught Romance languages for 24 years. Even with a foundation of language and language learning experience, the Hebrew language took me for a long and difficult, albeit rewarding journey this past semester. I am grateful for struggling through the learning and picking up what I can.
Working on my questions for Provisional Elder, the Bible Study, and my verbatim manuscript of the sermon I preached on November 23rd has kept me busy when I wasn't working on finishing the semester well. That has also taken a high priority over the holidays, though I have taken several days off from writing and need to get back into full swing here quickly to finish it off and meet my deadline.
In the ebb and flow over these past several weeks, I have gone to the Wednesday mid-week Vesper service at the neighboring UMC church for some quiet reflection in song and prayer. I have been able to walk some. I met with my Spiritual Director. I have read Scripture and thoughts from a variety of sources, such as Jesus Calling, Alive Now, and the different Upper Room Guides to Prayer. I walked the labyrinth prior to my Hebrew final, praying my native American flute along the path. I was blessed to spend some time out and about around time serving with some folks last week.
These things, along with meeting in community for weekly worship have kept me grounded over the past few weeks. Yet, there has been a sense of restlessness too.
One does what one can do and lets go of the rest. Yet, there is that sense of the unknown that remains. The unknown isn't bad. But it's there. It can be exciting and energizing. There is peace in the waiting. There is activity in the waiting. There is work in the waiting.
God works in and through us while we wait. God works in and through situations while we wait. There is so much that we don't see, can't see, might never see. Yet, we are called to do our part. That thing, those things that we sense a nudge toward.
Advent is over, the Christmas season is here. Is the waiting over? Yes and no. The waiting for the Christ child to come to earth is over. But there is much more waiting over the calendar year. If not in the church calendar year, there will likely be waiting times in your personal life, in my personal life.
The waiting times are important growing times, healing times, strengthening times, resting times, learning times. Waiting doesn't equate inactivity, but it does mean watchful listening and preparing for what is to come.
What are the areas of waiting in your life?
Waiting can be transformational! If you don't believe me, check out the next butterfly you see. The time it spent waiting in the darkness was definitely transformational.
May there be peace and joy in your waiting!
Debra
Burks UMC--Pastor Rowland's "Christmas: Worth the Wait" series:
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