Waiting and Preparing with Apprehension and Excitement

If you know me you have probably heard that Mary Anne and I are expecting our first child (due Dec 31st). It is a very exciting time for both of us, as we wait to meet the little guy. In the meantime, there is still a lot to do. We are doing our best to take care of Mary Anne, watching her vitamins, how she moves, exercises, and sleeps. We are also trying our best to prepare Layla (our little dog), the house, and ourselves through learning, reading, and planning. Then, of course, there is all the modern suggestions and stuff for babies, that we need to learn about and figure out if we want. I try to keep reminding myself that this little guy, more than anything else, needs the two of us, sleep and food. The rest is just icing on the cake (this is a whole other message I can’t get into now).

            I am telling you all of this because we as a church are also entering into a period of waiting and preparation. Advent is a season where we look back at how Israel was waiting for the Messiah to come and set them free. We know that the Messiah would come at Christmas, as Jesus was born into the world. Like them, we also live in a time of waiting. Jesus is the answer to many prayers, prophecies, and needs, but we are still waiting for the fullness of God’s Kingdom to be realized, for Jesus to come again, and for heaven to be made on earth. 

            Looking at how expectantly excited we are for a new child to come or how much we do to prepare ourselves and the world around us for this baby, has challenged me to rethink what this Christian waiting and preparation really look like. Am I that excited for God’s kingdom? Do I watch with expectant eyes? Do I share my excitement and desire to bring others into it? Am I preparing my heart, mind, and body for Christ, as I am for this baby? Am I preparing those around me to receive and welcome Jesus? Big and important questions. 

            I know that having a baby will be a huge thing to adapt to and that our lives will be changed; for the better, but not always for the easier. The same is true, but in an even grander way, when it comes to Jesus. Through him, we will be changed because new life and responsibility come to us, but we will also be changed from the inside out, others will be changed and so will the world. Just like with a baby, it may be that we are never truly prepared, but we can do a lot now to help us get there, so that when He comes, we can respond and react rightly.  

            We can make space in our lives to receive and welcome Jesus, even now. We can learn what he wants and desires so that we can fulfill it. We can learn about what the world needs to become more like His kingdom. The starker the difference, the harder the adjustment. We can practice what it means to be Christ-like, changing both our internal and external being so that Christ may enter and so that others might be prepared too. We can dwell in the mystery, practicing holiness and worship, so that we might become the temple God longs us to be.

I hope you have a wonderful Advent, a joyous Christmas, and that this season of waiting might instill in you an even greater desire for God’s Kingdom to come. 

God bless you all.