Waiting

The word "Advent" means coming.  In this quiet season before the date Christians traditionally celebrate as the time of our Lord's birth, we wait for His arrival.  This is also traditionally meant as a time of personal reflection and inward searching; are we ready for His promised return to the world He created?  Are we free enough of the pulls of the temporal to eagerly anticipate the eternal?  
  With all the season's hype and marketing, it's hard to just cherish stillness without feeling somewhat like something is missing.  Did we buy enough gifts to show our friends and family that we love them?  Did we decorate enough to make our home cheerful and inviting?  Doubts about our ability to provide a Christmas "experience" may begin to cloud our days.  
   "For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
    it speaks of the end
    and will not prove false.
    Though it linger, wait for it;
    it will certainly come
    and will not delay."  Habakkuk 2:3 NIV
  Our adversary loves to blunt our effective witness in the world by plaguing us with doubts.  But the Lord is always walking with us and shaping us so that one day, with a shout, we will be transformed, renewed and mounted on eagles' wings!  As we move through this season, we hope you can take the time to be aware of His peaceful presence while reflecting on Christ's vast love for us and the lost world we sojourn in.