Waiting for Christmas is hard for youngsters. The days between Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of the longest days of the year. I recall many years thinking that Christmas would never arrive. Now, 4o years later, as I watch my four children and listen to their conversations I recognize that waiting is a gift from our Creator.
The anticipation of the children is contagious. The children focus on the gifts they will receive from family and friends. However, my focus has changed from the gifts to the gift. The gift of Jesus Christ. Christmas is a time of waiting…waiting for the days to pass, waiting for school to be out for vacation, waiting for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
Finally, I recognize waiting is a theme of many encounters with God in the Holy Scriptures. Abraham waited…for a son; Moses waited…for the Promised Land; John the Baptist waited…for Christ; and God’s grace, which is freely offered to all, waits for our response.
Merry Christmas and may your waiting turn to joy in this season of love and hope.
