Life Is Advent

9 Dec

“The Lord is coming, always coming.  When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life.  Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.”  ~ Henri  Nouwen

If you know me only slightly, you will know that I love going to Walt Disney World in Florida and that I also love going on cruises, the longer the cruise the better.  In regard to both of those favorite vacation modes, I have spent some very long times making plans.  When there have been glitches in reservations, I have had to resort to phone calls to customer service rather than a quick fix approach online.

If I have to do that, I make sure that I have something handy to drink in case I get thirsty, that I visit the bathroom before dialing, and that I put my phone on speaker so that I can work while on hold because I have been on hold for at least an hour on many occasions.  I know the order of songs on their song loops for music on hold.

My record was when I called in to book a DVC Member Cruise on the new Disney Magic (that was a long time ago already).  I was on hold for one hour and fifty-eight minutes before reaching someone who could make a reservation for me.  It was essential that I remained on hold as that was the first morning that reservations opened for the cruise and by that evening, the ship was totally booked.  If I didn’t hold, I would not have been able to go on that specific cruise.

No, this reflection is not about booking vacations with Disney or on cruise lines.  This reflection is about waiting.  We spend the entirety of our lives waiting on the coming of the Lord.  We might get bored.  We might get distracted.  We might become tempted to give up waiting.  All of those would be mistakes for we have to be ready for that very moment of His coming.

Advent is good practice for being “on hold”.  As we wait through this season for the coming of Christmas, we realize that the season is trying to tell us something deeper and more important.  It’s not just about waiting for December 25, 2021.  It’s about waiting throughout our lives for our ultimate goal.  If we’re ready when He comes, we’re in.  If we give up the wait, we could be in desperate trouble.

If the wait is beginning to bother you, if Advent seems to be going on too long, do what you need to do to modify your Advent journey so that you can be in the best shape possible while awaiting the coming of the Lord.

FAITH ACTION:  Evaluate what you are doing during the Advent season to prepare for Christmas.  If modifications are necessary in order to get more out of the season, make them now.