In Hopeful Anticipation

I love Advent season and the celebration of the Christ Child.  Advent means “arrival,” and there is so much joy in arrivals.  My father was a pilot in the military.  He would be away for long periods of time when I was a little girl.  In the Christmas of 1993, he was in Bosnia during the war.  As a child I had no idea the dangers he might be in.  All I could think about was when he would come home.  And I’ll never forget that January we all crowded into the living room to welcome him home and celebrate Christmas a month late.  I even re-wrote the words to the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” as I waited for him to walk in the door.  It started out “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of my Dad…” (Go ahead, sing it).  As a grown woman I can look back and remember how painful it was for everyone to wait for his arrival – the unknowns of his safety and the actual day he would come home.  But we waited and hoped with anticipation.  And today I experience this again as a mother – waiting in hopeful anticipation for my three children to arrive from Haiti.  It is painful with so many unknowns, yet I find comfort when I think about that day they will walk in our door. 

Advent ceremonies involve lighting candles.  I love the symbolism of lighting a candle. It has always been significant to me, but I had not always thought about how it honors an arrival.  I light candles when guests are coming over. I light a candle in my office for my clients.  I light a candle to be reminded I am never alone.  In each of these times, there is an arrival to be honored.  It’s as if the flame holds the space with hope as we wait with anticipation for the arrival of whatever or whoever is to come. 

So I lit my candle this morning as I write.  It has 3 wicks – one for each of my sons: Wilnes, Woody, and Wendy. I pray for their little hearts, and I cry with hopeful anticipation. 

If you choose to light a candle today or in the coming days of Advent season, I offer some questions for you to ponder on your own journey:

~Who or what are you waiting for?

~How do you spend your time “waiting?”

~Who or what comforts you in your wait?

~What do you need as you wait?

~Imagine the arrival of who/what you are waiting for.  Lean into this hope.

May Peace be with you this season.