Wonders of His Love

Life involves a lot of waiting.

There’s the day-to-day waiting—waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting in the doctor’s office, waiting in traffic, waiting for payday, waiting for our “turn...” Then there’s waiting on a larger continuum—waiting for our children to grow up, waiting for the tide to change, waiting for our ship to come in (a result of the changing tide?), waiting for answers to prayers, waiting for a new season of life…

During the crazy years when my children were younger, I often put off doing things, telling myself I was waiting until I had more time. For instance, I’ve been telling myself and God for years that I just wasn’t in a place where I could feasibly have an early morning, one-on-one devotional time with him. After all, I had to get kids to school, then myself to work. Plus, I’m really not a morning person…He knows that, right? But now I’m out of time, so to speak, and a few weeks ago He told me in no uncertain terms that 6 a.m. was going to be our time. And do you know what? He’s taking our time together and multiplying it exponentially. The blessings are flowing, and I thank Him for His patience with me all these years.

I’ve also passed up some opportunities to explore life over the years, setting them aside until I had more time. I was always on a mission down the beaten path, and the side roads had to wait. But this weekend my daughter and I took a quick trip to visit my mom and on the way we enjoyed a couple of diversions I’d put off time and time again. In Luray Hannah asked, “What is that huge tower we always pass?”

I didn’t know, so we took an extra half hour to explore the Luray Singing Tower, a majestic stone tower that houses a carillon of 47 cast bronze bells and is surrounded by public park land. Appropriate for the season, the inscription on the largest bell reads, “GLORY TO GOD, PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILL TO MEN.”

Before we got to Mom’s house we also stopped at Central Coffee Roasters® in Sperryville, Virginia. It was only 20 minutes from our destination and I had always wanted to stop there, but just never took the time. It would have been worth it just to breathe in the heavenly fragrance of freshly roasted coffee beans, but of course I left with a pound of Panama beans, as well.

When I was a child, Christmas seemed to be more about waiting than any other day of the year. My sister Ellen and I each had a stuffed Santa, and as soon as the Christmas decorations were unpacked I would ceremoniously prop mine up on my bed, sleeping with him curled in the crook of my arm until Christmas morning. I would whisper my secrets in his plastic ear and remind him of my wish list each night, as I waited with growing impatience for "the big day."

Now Thanksgiving is over, and I have no excuse left to put off my Christmas preparations. I don’t sleep with my Santa anymore, but I do put him out as a reminder not to cry or pout during the frenzied weeks ahead. And the older I get, the less Christmas is about Santa and the more it’s about the Messiah.

Today was the first Sunday in the liturgical season of Advent. Advent means “coming,” and as Christians we’re reminded to be preparing our hearts for His coming, once as a baby in a manger, and soon as the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace that we so long for. Our annual celebration of the birth of the Christ isn’t just a sweet story we relive each year, but the past truth our future hope is rooted in.

Let every heart prepare Him room.

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

~ Isaiah 9: 2, 6-7 (NIV)