“…But when the proper time had fully come, GOD sent His Son” (Galatians 4:4)

Waiting is frightful. Waiting is also exciting.  It all depends on  what we are waiting for. Waiting can be frightful when we haven’t heard from a loved one for a long time or when we are waiting for our exam results or for a doctor’s report. And waiting can be exciting when we are at the  airport to receive a loved one or when we have just bought our tickets for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ game or when we have just ordered a newly released video game.

Either way, waiting is not easy.
Today, we live in a world of instant messages, fast foods and high-speed technology. In the midst of this hurried culture waiting can be extremely hard. Sometimes when things don’t meet our expectations and don’t happen according to our schedule we get angry, frustrated or depressed. Other times we may even believe that anything that does not gratify us instantly, in the here and now, is not worth waiting for.

Advent tells us otherwise.
In the Christian calendar the season that begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve is called ‘Advent’. It simply means “coming.”  Advent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping. Advent reminds us, year in and year out, to prepare for the coming of Jesus.

In the Old Testament Scriptures we read that the Israelites waited desperately and expectantly for the Messiah to show up. Jesus did show up, not on their schedule or according to their expectations, but when the time was right and in his own special way as a baby born in the manger. Today, we wait not just for Jesus to show up again in glory but we also wait for him to show up in our homes, jobs and church. Again, not according to our expectations or schedule but in his time and in his own special way.

May our waiting be unhurried. May we stay awake, keep looking and listening for the Jesus who is always coming to us. May we look for Jesus in all the unexpected places and look for him to come in unexpected ways.

May we wait in hope for Jesus to show up again.
He may not come like we expect him to come, but he will definitely come when the proper time has fully come.

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Samuel Williams is co-founder & content director at Fluid. He is also the teaching pastor at Avenue Community Church in Toronto, Canada.