A Season of Waiting

In the midst of Advent I've been reminded of the brokenness that lives within us and the hope that Jesus came to fix that brokenness.  The season of advent is a busy one, but also one to pause and reflect on the one who went to infinite measures to be near us. I've been reading through Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "God is in the Manger" this advent season.

Although I have loved much of this book there is one quote that has really stayed with me,  "For the greatest, most profound, tenderest things in the world , we must wait."  Over the years I've learned that this is so so true.  Some of the sweetest gifts come after a prolonged period of waiting.  I feel like I've been waiting for so long for unfulfilled desires that are still so poignant.  But even more are we not in a season of waiting for the one who has promised to return.  The one who was born in a manger who came to fill our deepest desire that only He can fill.

So in this seasn of advent I look around to those who I know who are hurting.  My friend  who is on the verge of divorce, my friend whose mom was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, my friend whose heart is broken from a boy that she thought would be her husband, my friend who lost her grandmother so close to Christmas, My friend whose niece died tragically at such a young age.  The hurt is deep and in this world of brokenness it will never fully go away.  But Jesus is coming.  He is coming to redeem all that is broken.  And one day there will be no more tears, no more broken hearts, no more grief.

 ^"Therefore,“they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne  will shelter them with his presence. Never again will they hunger;  never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd he will lead them to springs of living water.And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:15-17

"Not everyone can wait; neither the sated nor the satisfied nor those without respect can wait. The only ones who can wait are people who carry restlessness around with them and people who look up with reverence to the greatest in the world.  Thus advent can be celebrated only by those whose souls give them no peace, who know that they are poor and incomplete, and who sense something of the greatness that is supposed to come, before which they can only bow in humble timidity, waiting until he inclines himself toward us - the Holy One himself, God in the child in the manger. God is coming; the Lord Jesus is coming; Christmas is coming. Rejoice, O Christendom!"

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Jesus is coming.....