O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

As I wait upon the Lord, in the season of Advent, I find myself surrounded by joyful distractions. Advent is a season of cookie baking, tree decorating, movie watching, cocoa drinking, gift shopping, package mailing, letter writing, envelope addressing, event attending, worship leading (at least in my case). And while I intensely enjoy pretty much all of these preparation-related activities, I find it hard to engage in the waiting, watching, wondering spirit of a season of preparing our hearts, and not just our homes.

And so, in the midst of it all, I have to literally force myself to slow down...even for a minute or two everyday. To try to rest in God's presence. To recognize the loving embrace that enfolds me even in the midst of my busy-ness. To just be.

I know God created me as a person who loves to do. I love to do so many different things, and want to do so many things, and plan to do so many things, that at the end of each day, I can't help but lament and stress out over all the things that remain undone. And if reading the last sentence made you downright tired, welcome to my world!

And so it is, that I am called to remember, that God made me to be a person who is. (See the story of "Martha and Mary" Luke 10:38-42) Since I feel more comfortable when I'm about the task of getting things done, it's a stretch for me to enter into the be-ing-ness of prayer, but I'm always glad at the way it stretches me when I give in and give it a try.

Tomorrow is yoga day.

And once a week, for a blissful 10 minutes, I relax. I've come to look forward to the words, "it's now time for relaxation." I find a comfortable place on my mat, chase the thoughts of 'what's for dinner?' out of my mind, and slip into 10 full minutes of undercover prayer. No one around me may know it, but I connect with God in that moment. Not by listing my wants and needs and concerns or joys, but by listening...listening for the heartbeat that tells me my life is in God's hands, listening for the breath that comes to me as gift, listening for the still, small voice that I so often drown out with my own chatter.

May you find a moment to rest in God's presence, today, tomorrow, every day.

Watch, Wait, Wonder. Experience Advent.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Bring peace and comfort for my busy soul.
Show me the way to rest in you,
That all my tasks may finally be through.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,
Shall come to you, O Israel.