Waiting

Christmas is only 4 days away, and a good time to pause and consider the spiritual significance of this season. In her book "the Meaning is in the Waiting," Paula Gooder observes, "Many people speak of the feeling of deep anticlimax on Christmas day when that long-anticipated day does not live up to our expectations. Often the reason for this is that we live forever in the future, so that, when the future becomes the present, we are ill-equipped to deal with it and have lost the ability to be fully present, right now.

One of the many reasons we wait in Advent is to hone our skills of being JOYFULLY AND FULLY PRESENT NOW. After a month of doing this, Christmas day can gain a depth and meaning that would otherwise fly past in a whirl of presents and mince pies.

Such a deep attention to the present cannot help but transform us as we learn -- or relearn as the case may be -- how to live deeply and truly in the present moment..."

Whatever we're waiting for - maybe it's a healed relationship, or resolution to a difficult situation, or a spiritual breakthrough of some kind - there is profound meaning and growth to be found in the waiting!