Today's Scripture: Psalm 37:1-11 (read)
One of my biggest pet peeves is having to wait. I am not a patient waiter. I drive out of my way to avoid sitting in traffic. Standing in line at the grocery store or post office is almost more than I can handle. That being said gives a glimpse into my feelings as we awaited the birth of our second child. Our older daughter had been born four weeks prematurely and from stories of my birth, I knew I had been born a bit early as well. Therefore, I was sure we wouldn't be waiting the entire nine months. Well – we did. This little girl took her sweet time arriving into our lives.
As our two daughters have grown, they have continued this same pattern. Our oldest is a "get- going-let's-get-it-done-now" kind of person, while our youngest is a "let's-think-about-this-for-a-while" kind of person. She is an artist, and I have seen her ponder over a project for hours. When the time is finally right, the waiting turns into a beautiful creation.
God has blessed each of us with gifts and personalities that make us uniquely who we are, granting us the resources to follow God's call. As I focus on the Advent season, though, I think of my youngest child patiently waiting and envisioning possibilities. Will we face Advent as a time to be passed quickly while waiting for the "Big Day" to arrive? Or will we face Advent as a time of reflection – a time to envision the possibilities – as we once again prepare for the birth of the one small Christ Child?
Ellen Gregory serves as office manager for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri.
This 2011 Advent devotion originally appeared in the November 17 issue of Word&Way.
