On Waiting This Advent Season

Twas the Night after Thanksgiving and all through the house,

lay a mess of all sorts and a hardworking spouse.

He was unpacking each stocking and ornament with care,

Yelling "Stop that..Not that one..that doesn't go there!"

Each young child, excited, doing whatever popped into their mind,

stressing their poor Father who tried only to be kind.

Their mother laid on the couch, not moving an inch,

Remembering last year's Cindy Lou Who from the Grinch,

wishing something could change this year's circumstances, so

she said a prayer for help and watched her heart grow.

From contentment to Thanksgiving complete

Her mind renewed could fathom, "What a treat!"

"I am not worse though I am not well,

Let me think of the good and not on the sad dwell!

My children are happy and the house is the same,

even if there is a mess at every doorframe!" ;)

If you got through that, thank you for indulging the time I have on my hands! Last week, I had an injury and it has caused me to be off my feet for about a week and a half so far. I am very hopeful to be able to walk by this coming weekend, but only time will tell. Until that day comes, I fight for Thanksgiving.

A week and half is a short time to be knocked off my feet, but substantial none the less. The time that I haven’t been able to walk has spanned Thanksgiving preparations, travel, celebration, recovery, and a week off of school for four children. I missed planned crafts, planned baking, planned moments. Now Garrett handles the hustle and bustle of preparing the children for school each morning as I watch with longing and sadness in my heart. I long to pick Margaret out of her crib and rock her in those earliest of moments of her day. I long to chase Betsy down so I can comb her hair and pull back the wild bangs. I long to make Hastings his second bowl of cereal instead of needing his help of bringing me a cushion for my leg so I can sit and watch the morning chaos pass me by. Trace has since gone to school as he has the earliest bell. Garrett lets me sleep in since I don't sleep well with the pain.

This won’t last too much longer. I can move my toes and foot again, even if not fully. I wait.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

As the Christmas season is upon us, I have experienced a bit of that sick heart. I have mourned not spending the holidays as I imagined. I have mourned my children's holiday not being what I planned. I have lost control of how this past holiday week played out. I have missed events that have become traditions as well as holiday celebrations that I was enthusiastically anticipating. I watched as all the decoration boxes were brought out of the attic and into an untidy house. A thought runs through my mind, "When I can walk, I will put this thing in the garland....I will put the ribbon on the tree as soon as I can get up...I so look forward to picking up all this laundry..." I wait. I wait for movement. I wait until I can flex my foot. I wait to be healed.

In God's Providence, He has cause me to enter this Advent season with my own heart of waiting. I wait for healing in my leg, I wait to prepare a comfortable place of home for us, I wait to be able to serve my family once again, I wait to be able to join in fellowship with others. I wait...

I join in the ancient waiting of the God's people through out history. First in the waiting of a King to fight for and redeem His people from their enemies. A King to reclaim their land and their name. A king to reclaim and revive His people's hearts. In a foretold moment, a long anticipated blink, that King arrived as an infant babe and then a crucified and later Risen Savior; His people awaiting His magnificent return. A return of a King that reclaim a lost and broken world, that will revive longing hearts, that will reclaim a kingdom established long ago. The return of the King will make all things new, will fulfill every longing heart, wipe away every tear. The return of the King will erase poverty, sickness, sadness, and death. And so we wait..knowing that He HAS come and that He WILL return.

As I wait for my leg to heal and to partake again in the normal daily life of our home, I learn to live in the now, broken as I am, while also not losing heart because a new day is coming. I join in the heart's remembering and longing for the return of the God King, Jesus Christ. Who will heal broken hearts (and legs) and this broken world, who will call us up together to be in fellowship with Him and His father, the creator of all. I pray we are not hindered by the trivial longings of this earth, but that God would use them to shape our hearts in the lost practice of waiting. May our hearts be stirred to join the ancient waiting, the ancestral longing. May our hearts be knit together as we both partake in and learn how to wait. I don't know that is comes naturally to our hearts and minds

It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

I will leave whoever has made is this far with pictures from the joyful time we had in Louisiana at Thanksgiving. I may have been in awful pain and anxiety every time one of the many children got close to me in fear they may touch my leg, but it was joyful none the less! Gathering with so many loved ones was a gift.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel's strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring. By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne