Third Sunday of Advent

The Joy of Waiting

With joy, we look to Jesus as we wait. What a simple expression of what this Third Sunday of Advent is about. Isaiah encourages us to be strong, to keep imagining the future. He nudges us to be creative, to see what isn’t there yet but could be. So we are asked to imagine a rose blooming in the desert! Whatever desert place, whatever wilderness we are experiencing can lead to something beautiful.

The hope, the vision of something beautiful comes in God’s time, not ours. So we wait. Sometimes we wait with patience. Most of the time, however, our societal pressures insist on “instant” results. How do I learn to wait? What has been my experience of waiting during this Advent season? Have I been paying attention to my capacity to wait? What are the things I wait for?

What kind of home within myself am I creating for Jesus? As I reflect on who I am becoming, am I preparing to give birth to new expressions of Jesus in me, in my soul, in my spirit? How is my soul magnifying the Lord? And what has brought me joy—great joy during this Advent season?

With joy, we look to Jesus as we wait! It won’t be long now…