Last week’s post “What Are You Waiting For” received an enormous amount of reads. So much so that I’m wondering if somehow the statcounter made an egregious mistake! Thank you to all of you who read and shared it! If you didn’t get to read Pt. 1 of Learning How To Wait you can read it here:
Now to this week’s post…
We are still waiting.
While many people are observing the ritual of waiting during the liturgical event, Advent, others are simply waiting for their life circumstances to change.
How can we wait with hope and not fall into the pit of despair, or my personal favorite, cynicism?
Let’s look at the Christmas story—from a Christian perspective.
We celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus, but we celebrate knowing what this baby was going to go through. The baby Jesus entered our darkness by a miracle, and then as an adult, walked the earth demonstrating even more miracles. His grandest act on earth was the greatest miracle, his resurrection.
This baby would grow up to be tortured and hated, but he had a mission that allowed him to see the greater purpose behind it all.
When we have a greater vision beyond our present hurt and struggle, we can see more clearly how God is carrying us through it. The life of Jesus makes it clear that the way through is going to be very difficult, you may even lose your life. But his great promise is that we’re never alone, that he is with us...even carrying us—Emmanuel. That’s the hope of Christmas.
I encourage you to never let go of the hope that God who loves you deeply, is working to make something incredibly special out of your life, to show unbelievable love to the world around you.
How To Wait With Hope
Be Patient: I usually want to rush through situations to get over the bad stuff and get to the good stuff. But when I look back at the times I’ve learned and grown the most, it was the times of pain and suffering that facilitated that. Do you grow from the good times? Not so much. Be patient during the hard times, because hope believes you’re about to learn something you never could without them.
Be Present: When I’m wanting to escape from my present not-so-great circumstances I can get lost in the fantasy of how great the future is going to be. This ingrains unrealistic expectations in me for how I believe the future should unfold. Expectations are simply pre-cooked resentments. Be present during the hard times, because hope says you are still surrounded by life-giving beauty and blessings.
Be Positive: Choosing to have a positive outlook on life and other people (even yourself!) allows good things to happen to you. Just like a negative person can get trapped only seeing negative things, a positive person can more easily see the good that is already happening, even while you’re waiting for changes to occur. Be positive during the hard times, because hope believes that good things are still ahead.
What would you add to this list about how to wait with hope? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
My most popular song is “Emmanuel (You Are With Me)”—a Christmas song about waiting with hope. Here’s the music video for it and the lyrics posted below. Please feel free to share this song with someone you know who might be going through a difficult time this holiday season.
written by Tim Brown & Mark Smeby, produced by Tim Brown
It's just another lonely holiday
Never thought it would turn out this way
If you're listening God, I hope you'll hear
This is my simple Christmas prayer
Come into my silence and bring me peace,
Come into my darkness, and be my light
Come into what's broken and make it whole again,
Emmanuel, Emmanuel... Emmanuel
Same old carols on the radio
Sure could use some joy in my world
But there's a star I see shining in the sky
Guiding me to where you are
Come into my silence and bring me peace,
Come into my darkness, and be my light
Come into what's broken and make it whole again
Emmanuel, Emmanuel... Emmanuel
You breathed your love into a silent night
And with one voice, all heaven and nature sing
Come into my silence and bring me peace,
Come into my darkness, and be my light
Emmanuel, You are with me
Emmanuel, You are with me
The Perfect Gift is my all time favorite Christmas movie. It was there that I found you and your incredible music. Merry Christmas Mark! May you experience HIS love to the fullest now and always.
The three ways to wait you've offered us here are so practical and clear, I think I will be reminding myself of them through out the days this season. Thank you for the important and powerful message, and sharing your heart and experience in your writings.