When you really think about it, we are people who don’t like to wait – for anything. Like standing in a long line at the store because someone in front of you is in need of a price check. Sitting in the doctor’s office when it’s way beyond the time of our appointment. Waiting for a colleague to finish their part of an important project. Waiting on someone to return your text that you only sent 10 seconds ago. Or when you’re driving in your car and you get stuck behind two cars, side-by-side, that are going way below the speed limit and you cannot pass them because you’re waiting for one of them to move over. Let’s be honest: we are impatient people.
Psychologists tell us that impatience is triggered when we have a goal, and then realize that it’s going to cost us more than we thought to reach it. Let me give you another example.
Let’s say there is a child who is anxiously awaiting Christmas. Now, the impatience may not occur immediately, but eventually it does, and the child can’t stop thinking about Christmas. Impatience sets in, and the waiting is costing more than the child thought it would because it distracts the child from paying attention to other things in the meantime.
I’m guessing that most of us experience this same level of impatience, especially at this time of the year. There is so much to do to prepare for Christmas that we neglect to prepare for what really matters. This is precisely why we need Advent in our lives.
Advent is a time for us to hit the reset button, to shift our minds and hearts from the distractions and noise that surrounds us so we can increase our desire for God. And though it’s difficult to be patient with ourselves and others, we need to do so because it’s through our patience that will lead us to the spiritual awareness that the One we wait for and long for is not only coming…but is already here – right now – at this very moment.
My sisters and brothers, the coming of the Lord is at hand. May we patiently wait in joyful hope that Jesus will enter into our lives and always be present with us.
Come, Thou long awaited one. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
We all long for the hope and joy of Advent. Find out why.
