“See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.” –James 5:7-8
“Not
again….”
I thought by
now we’d have the Christmas tree up and decorated and at least some of the
gifts purchased and wrapped. Instead, my husband and I have spent the past week
or two battling a severe respiratory infection.
I’ve had this
kind of virus many times before, in various degrees of severity. This time, I’ve
felt it spiritually as well as physically. I felt discouragement set in when I
looked at the calendar and saw how close we are to Christmas and all the
festivities that go with it. I’m also keenly aware that many others are
battling greater illnesses and struggles than I am, and I feel compassion for
them. And while I didn’t feel festive or energetic, I made myself put out some
of the Christmas decorations, even if it took a couple days instead of a couple
hours. Doing so lifted my spirits.
A farmer
plants, waits, and looks forward to the day when the sprouts poke through the
soil. His waiting could be described as ‘confident hope,’ the kind of hope that
knows for certain that what was promised will come to pass. We adopt this same sentiment
of anticipation during these weeks of Advent, and we can remind ourselves of it
when we’re feeling flat spiritually. We remind ourselves that Christmas means God-with-us,
and so our preparations for Christmas are both active and contemplative. He’s
with us whether we feel His presence
or not. He’s with us whether we’re able to put up decorations or just manage to
take care of His gift of ourselves as we wait for the illness or struggle to
pass. He’s with us when we’re the ones in a position to care for someone else. He’s
with us when we plant seeds of love through our words and actions, and even
when we don’t see the fruits of our labors. We trust that He’s working ‘underground’
to bring forth growth from our efforts. And we’re hopeful that our imitating
Christ will make us more like Him.
While we acknowledge
the difficulties of today, we remind ourselves that God never changes, even
when our health, moods, and circumstances do. We look ahead and do whatever it
is we can manage, one day at a time, to prepare for Christmas. In this way, we
wait patiently with confident hope.
“Lord, help me not get discouraged by life’s challenges. Help me keep my
focus on You.”
Thank you for
reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell
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