I wait for God, my whole being waits, and in his word, I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5

Today marks the beginning of the Christian season of Advent. The early Church carved out four weeks to prepare the mind, body and spirit for that mystical event when God crossed the boundary between heaven and earth to come be with us. On that first Christmas morning, God proved the impossible was possible. Which means the impossible in our own lives is also possible. God made sure we knew we were not left alone. Our lives were not beholden to chance, but divinely attended.

Ask yourself honestly if you believe in the real truth of Christmas? The Latin root of “advent” (adventus) suggests that something marvelous is on the horizon. God is up to something. Christmas was not a singular event, but rather the first domino of love tipping in our favor.

Jesus declared the divine mission: I came so you would have life, and life in full. God’s aim is to heal us so we can continue to live, love, and participate in this wildly sacred world.

The heart clutch is the timing. God does not keep time like we do. Miracles take time. There is no snap of the finger or muscling of our destinies. God decides when Christmas comes for you and for me. Waiting for redemption is the great challenge of faith. How we wait on God to heal, offer a new path, give joy again says so much about who we are and how much we actually trust God. I find the spiritual discipline of waiting for God to move in my life to be both excruciating and exciting. Deep learning about ourselves and God happen in the waiting seasons. I struggle to wait on God especially in the face of so much hurt I see here on earth. Many times, I have felt anger toward God for not healing a broken heart faster, opening up a new path out of the pit of despair, revealing redemption in a story much deserved. Just when I am plain tired of waiting on God to save a person, a situation—me, Christmas comes. Sometimes, the revelation of love is so subtle, just enough to keep me putting one foot in front of the other. Other times, the sky spills with stars and resurrection is a very real and present reality. How humbling when God makes that mystical leap once again from heaven to my human heart.

Bravely, patiently, we must open our arms and our hearts to God’s imagination and timing. God will always comes through. Wait for God in the secret of your heart, as well as in community. There is no greater honor than to wait with another as God puts them back together and gives them life again.

What can we do while we wait? Pay attention to the little nudges God gifts to steer us forward. God wants your participation in your own redemption. Actively fill yourself with goodness, beauty and joy to balance the sorrow in your heart. Repent. Clear the cobwebs within, so God has room to work. Stop dragging your feet and forgive the person. Love well who and what is right in front of you. God gives us agency to bring heaven to earth for others. Prayer is a balm for the anxiousness that comes with waiting for change. Force hope’s hand. We are engineered to respond to the negative for self-protection. Embrace the good. Take an advent posture. Instead of ruminating on all the things that go wrong, anticipate what will go right.

Hope has taken on a new meaning for me this year. I have had to truly live my day-to-day life with gritty hope, perseverance, remarkable trust, endless prayer, a bit of surrender, and determined resilience. The wait is always worth it. The actors in the Christmas story were willing to say yes to God, not knowing what was ahead. Dare we? At this very moment, God is working to do something new, redemptive, beautiful in our lives. Hold on! Christmas is coming.

***SOULFULL if a meaningful gift for the holidays! Need me to sign a book or two, I will meet you in your driveway or mail you signed books!!! Email me at farrellmason@yahoo.com***