As I prepare myself for Advent and the joy of Christmas, I must embrace waiting with patience. As a child, waiting for Christmas was difficult. After all, what child doesn’t want to leap to the fun of Christmas morning? As an adult, waiting is still difficult, but not for gifts. Now, my struggle is waiting for the culmination of God’s Kingdom. I understand the saints’ call to the throne of God, “How long?” Waiting is difficult. If you are like me and waiting is a struggle for you, draw strength from Henri Nouwen’s words: “I have found it very important in my own life to let go of my wishes and start hoping. It was only when I was willing to let go of my wishes that something really new, something beyond my own expectations, could happen to me. Just imagine what Mary was actually saying in the words, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let what you have said be done to me’ (Luke 1:38). She was saying, ‘I don’t know what this all means, but I trust that good things will happen.’ She trusted so deeply that her waiting was open to all possibilities. And she did not want to control them. She believed that when she listened carefully, she could trust what was going to happen. To wait open-endedly is an enormously radical attitude toward life. It is trusting that something will happen to us that is far beyond our own imaginings. It is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life. It is living with the conviction that God molds us according to God’s love and not according to our fear. The spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, expecting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination or prediction. That, indeed, is a very radical stance in a world preoccupied with control” (The Path of Waiting).  This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Romans 2 *Tuesday – Romans 3 *Wednesday – Romans 4 *Thursday – Romans 5 *Friday – Romans 6 Things to Pray About: -The violence and finding peace in our city, state, country, and in the world. -Pray for guidance, healing, protection, strength, courage, and faith. -Our unwillingly absent members. -Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. -Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. -Family restoration through forgiveness. -Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC. |
| “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6 |