Advent Meditation - December 13th

Remembering to Wait

     Generations of souls have struggled with the experience of waiting.  The Psalms are filled with encouragements about it.  Gardeners live their lives by the seasons, rather than a wristwatch.  They remind us each spring into summer into fall that life takes time.  It is when our prayers become songs and our seeds are eventually harvested that we begin to understand.  Grief’s healing comes at life’s pace, not ours.
           Relying on the Moon: Companioning Grief for 29 Days          by Lesley Brogan


            Rare is it we find a person who likes to wait. So much of our culture whisks us into the fast lane before we’re even aware of it. Tapping fingers and tapping toes, blaring car horns all bear witness to the anxiety this brings to our spirits. And to what end?

            Advent invites us to wait. Take off your stopwatch, turn off your alarms, step off the merry-go-round, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath (or two or three) and stop. Just stop. Not in the spirit of giving up, but with the spirit of letting go, just stop. For a minute. Or an hour. Or a day. Or a season. Stop. Wait. Let’s see what happens.

            This day may we breathe a bit deeper and give thanks for the holiness of our bodies, fearfully and wonderfully made.

            This day may we relax our shoulders and arms and lay down our heavy burdens that we’ve carried much too long.

            This day may we allow ourselves to intentionally stop once or twice or three times and reflect on the gift of these few precious hours we have been given today.

            This day may we learn something new from waiting.


Breath prayer: “prayers”  “into songs”

Prayer: God of all ages, we give you thanks for the gift of today. As we learn to number our hours and our days, may our hearts and minds grow more calm and peaceful. In our waiting may we turn and return to your lovingkindness. Amen.

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