advent

it's advent season. the season characterized specifically by waiting....

by nature, I'm not a patient person. I hate traffic and lines and thinking way far ahead into the future.

but I suppose advent is a different kind of waiting. waiting with joyful anticipation of celebrating something wonderful and beautiful and well...the most important thing!

I heard once that most women don't like surprises, because they enjoy the exciting anticipation of looking forward to things. I get that. perhaps that is a small taste of the joy in our advent.

as people sing Christmas carols and stores are crazy crowded and people bake cookies, I think of a dear coworker in great pain in this season. she's in the midst of saying goodbye to one of those amazing friends that is, actually, 100% family. and it seems cruel and unfair and just doesn't make sense that her life be taken all too soon. away from her friends. her family. her husband and 6 year old son.

she said today, face streaming with tears, she didn't know how to say goodbye. said she felt bad for bringing everyone down at this time of year that's supposed to be filled with cheer. I told her that was ridiculous and to not think such things.

and then I got to thinking about the anticipation of advent and waiting for Christmas. waiting for our king. waiting for redemption. sacrifice. love. grace. mercy. 

human pain and grief that doesn't make sense seems to make perfect sense, in all actuality, in this season. Christ was born into this broken, fallen world because of this pain and heartache and mess. He was born -- He, being the embodiment of perfect love and hope.

hope that we need in midst of heartache and pain. the kind that brings us to our knees. crying out because we don't understand why life isn't fair. why we have to lose the ones closest to us. the ones we love. in the midst of this...in this advent season, and always, there is hope. all is not lost. we have the biggest treasure that isn't on this earth. our pain is but temporary. death has lost its sting, for the battle is already won. 

happy advent.