Sunday, December 1, 2013

Waiting on This First Day of Advent

On this first day of Advent we sat down as a family to discuss the idea of "waiting". We read a letter from Dietrich Bonhoeffer which he wrote to his parents while he sat in a Nazi German prison cell.  If anyone understood the concept of waiting it was him.

This concept brought this song to my mind.  "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller.  Bill and I clung to this song after Grace died.  It seemed like we were in a whirlwind of waiting for the months/ years after she died.  We waited for the end in the emergency department.  We waited for answers about Dee's head injury. We waited while Dee and Sarah transitioned from sleeping in our room back to the room that they had shared with their sister.  We waited for sleep. We waited for each new holiday, anniversary, birthday to pass without her.  We waited for the grief to pass.  We waited, and waited, and waited.....

As we come to this Advent season I find it interesting that we are brought back to the reminder of waiting.  We were reminded tonight that our lives are a season of Advent.  We are ultimately always waiting for the coming of Christ. Not just the baby Jesus on Christmas, but the final coming of Jesus. This song reminds me that I need to be worshiping, working, serving while I wait.  Life may not be what we had bargained for, but that doesn't disregard our call to be ambassadors for Christ in all that we do.

I am thankful for this reminder and for the chance that I have to walk this walk with my family, teaching them the art of waiting.  I couldn't think of any other beautiful people that I would rather wait with!



Lyrics to While I'm Waiting :
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

2 comments:

  1. God Waiting
    December 1, 2013 — by Julie Ackerman Link

    During the Christmas season we wait. We wait in traffic. We wait in checkout lines to purchase gifts. We wait for family to arrive. We wait to gather around a table filled with our favorite foods. We wait to open presents lovingly chosen.

    All of this waiting can be a reminder to Christians that Christmas is a celebration of waiting for something much more important than holiday traditions. Like the ancient Israelites, we too are waiting for Jesus. Although He already came as the long-awaited Messiah, He has not yet come as ruler over all the earth. So today we wait for Christ’s second coming.

    Christmas reminds us that God also waits . . . He waits for people to see His glory, to admit that they are lost without Him, to say yes to His love, to receive His forgiveness, to turn away from sin. While we wait for His second coming, He waits for repentance. What seems to us like God’s slowness in coming is instead His patience in waiting (2 Peter 3:9).

    The Lord is waiting to have a relationship with those He loves. He made the first move when He came as baby Jesus and the sacrificial Lamb. Now He waits for us to welcome Him into our lives as Savior and Lord.

    God patiently keeps His promises.

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    Replies
    1. Forgot to mention that this post was from Our Daily Bread yesterday, I found it interesting that waiting was the same topic. God must be trying to tell us something!

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