We live in a world where everything happens instantaneously.
“I want it now!” Click, receive. If we need groceries we can
order them online and have someone deliver it to our door. Need a gift? With a
few clicks Amazon will deliver it tomorrow. Hungry? Get a pressure cooker and
your cooking time will be cut in half. We have become a society that is
rarely expected to wait on anything. If you need to speak to someone, no
need to make a phone call, shoot them a text because no one wants to wait for
the phone to ring, or god forbid have to leave a message. Waiting has
become a thing of the past. Last month I wrote about the suffocation of
anticipation and how anticipating something can be hard to do, when you are
hoping or expecting specific results. How do your kids act when they have to wait to
open presents on Christmas? How do you act when YOU have to wait for something you want? Yet, we are asked to wait for the best gift we will ever receive. This
past Sunday was the first Sunday of the season of Advent, which literally means
“expectant waiting,” “anticipation.” There is that word again, but this time we
are waiting on birth of Christ. We are waiting
on His return. So, how do we find joy in
the wait? We don’t “find” it, we choose it. And the only way to choose it
is to know the source.
“I want it now!” Click, receive. If we need groceries we can
order them online and have someone deliver it to our door. Need a gift? With a
few clicks Amazon will deliver it tomorrow. Hungry? Get a pressure cooker and
your cooking time will be cut in half. We have become a society that is
rarely expected to wait on anything. If you need to speak to someone, no
need to make a phone call, shoot them a text because no one wants to wait for
the phone to ring, or god forbid have to leave a message. Waiting has
become a thing of the past. Last month I wrote about the suffocation of
anticipation and how anticipating something can be hard to do, when you are
hoping or expecting specific results. How do your kids act when they have to wait to
open presents on Christmas? How do you act when YOU have to wait for something you want? Yet, we are asked to wait for the best gift we will ever receive. This
past Sunday was the first Sunday of the season of Advent, which literally means
“expectant waiting,” “anticipation.” There is that word again, but this time we
are waiting on birth of Christ. We are waiting
on His return. So, how do we find joy in
the wait? We don’t “find” it, we choose it. And the only way to choose it
is to know the source.
All the way back to Adam and Eve, though sin had entered the world
and we would assume there was no joy to be found, we are wrong. There was joy,
because God provided Hope, Grace and Forgiveness despite Adam and Eve’s
choices. When Abraham and Sarah longed
for a baby, God told Abraham in Genesis 15:5 “to look toward the heavens and to
count the stars, so shall your descendants be.” Sarah didn’t get pregnant
immediately so Abraham entered into an expectant waiting period, a season of anticipation,
a season of Advent. There was no Joy in Egypt when Moses was born, there was no
joy when the plaques began to sweep over the people, except for the promise that
an unblemished lamb would save the people from the tenth plaque. Exodus 12:5 Just as the
baby in a manger, the unblemished Lamb of God, would take away the sin of the
world and save us. John 1:29
and we would assume there was no joy to be found, we are wrong. There was joy,
because God provided Hope, Grace and Forgiveness despite Adam and Eve’s
choices. When Abraham and Sarah longed
for a baby, God told Abraham in Genesis 15:5 “to look toward the heavens and to
count the stars, so shall your descendants be.” Sarah didn’t get pregnant
immediately so Abraham entered into an expectant waiting period, a season of anticipation,
a season of Advent. There was no Joy in Egypt when Moses was born, there was no
joy when the plaques began to sweep over the people, except for the promise that
an unblemished lamb would save the people from the tenth plaque. Exodus 12:5 Just as the
baby in a manger, the unblemished Lamb of God, would take away the sin of the
world and save us. John 1:29
There was joy amongst separation, joy amongst longing and joy
amongst pain. The same God who was providing that joy, is the same God who
provided us a Savior. When we choose Him; we choose real Joy. Despite our circumstances and despite our pain,
our relationship with Christ is where true Joy comes from.
amongst pain. The same God who was providing that joy, is the same God who
provided us a Savior. When we choose Him; we choose real Joy. Despite our circumstances and despite our pain,
our relationship with Christ is where true Joy comes from.
This
past Friday night our church had an event called Angels of light, I had the privilege
of hosting a table of “angels.” Two of the children at the table were just
placed into their newest foster home. A 7-year-old who has been in 8 homes and
a 5-year-old who has been in 4. These babies anticipate when they will have a
place to call home, a woman to call mommy and a man to call daddy. I am sure in
their little worlds they hope to be reunited with all of their siblings one
day, one has 3 the other 9. Their lives clearly are not easy but, from the
moment these two stepped off the bus they were all smiles, they danced and
skipped through the procession of people giving them high fives, and clapping for
them. As I walked with them I noticed they had joy, light, love, and excitement
with each step, twirl and hop. They brought smiles to every single person they
came in contact with. As the
night unfolded I watched the twinkle in their eye, it was there despite their
circumstances. The church had given the kids small boxes of crayons and while talking
to the 7-year-old, I asked her who were the people on the box? (It was a small
manger scene) She said this “that’s
Mary and Joseph, and baby Jesus and he came here and was born in Bethlehem and
then he road on a donkey and he died and was resurrected, for us.” She spoke with
the confidence of someone who has been preaching the gospel all their lives. No
hesitation at all, childlike faith. Iceasis
(pronounced Isis) was her name and she knows who her Lord and Savior is. Her
joy comes from a place that most couldn’t explain considering the life this
little one has led in 7 short years. She was a light, she was filled with joy
though we all know her life is full of anticipation, she has “expectant
waiting” for the day she will have a home. She ended her night trying to give
me her crayons, because she said, “I want you to remember me” it was all I
could do not snatch her up and take her home with me. I took the picture above
and assured her I would never forget her. She also said, “I really hope I get to see you again.” I
will work to make that happen on this side of heaven, but what I know is this. I will see you again little one, one day we
won’t live our lives anticipating the Lords return, or our reunion with him,
one day we will reside in his presence and there will be no more anticipating
and waiting. As simple as a child would say it… because the Bible tells us
so. May we all have unexplainable joy
like Iceasis this holiday season.
past Friday night our church had an event called Angels of light, I had the privilege
of hosting a table of “angels.” Two of the children at the table were just
placed into their newest foster home. A 7-year-old who has been in 8 homes and
a 5-year-old who has been in 4. These babies anticipate when they will have a
place to call home, a woman to call mommy and a man to call daddy. I am sure in
their little worlds they hope to be reunited with all of their siblings one
day, one has 3 the other 9. Their lives clearly are not easy but, from the
moment these two stepped off the bus they were all smiles, they danced and
skipped through the procession of people giving them high fives, and clapping for
them. As I walked with them I noticed they had joy, light, love, and excitement
with each step, twirl and hop. They brought smiles to every single person they
came in contact with. As the
night unfolded I watched the twinkle in their eye, it was there despite their
circumstances. The church had given the kids small boxes of crayons and while talking
to the 7-year-old, I asked her who were the people on the box? (It was a small
manger scene) She said this “that’s
Mary and Joseph, and baby Jesus and he came here and was born in Bethlehem and
then he road on a donkey and he died and was resurrected, for us.” She spoke with
the confidence of someone who has been preaching the gospel all their lives. No
hesitation at all, childlike faith. Iceasis
(pronounced Isis) was her name and she knows who her Lord and Savior is. Her
joy comes from a place that most couldn’t explain considering the life this
little one has led in 7 short years. She was a light, she was filled with joy
though we all know her life is full of anticipation, she has “expectant
waiting” for the day she will have a home. She ended her night trying to give
me her crayons, because she said, “I want you to remember me” it was all I
could do not snatch her up and take her home with me. I took the picture above
and assured her I would never forget her. She also said, “I really hope I get to see you again.” I
will work to make that happen on this side of heaven, but what I know is this. I will see you again little one, one day we
won’t live our lives anticipating the Lords return, or our reunion with him,
one day we will reside in his presence and there will be no more anticipating
and waiting. As simple as a child would say it… because the Bible tells us
so. May we all have unexplainable joy
like Iceasis this holiday season.
Once again here is one of my favorite bands For King & Country and one of my favorite songs JOY!
Until next time,
Courtney