Another Advent :)

Due to incredible amounts of popular demand (I wish) we're going to
try and do this Advent Blog again this year! Contributions, comments
and thoughts are welcome as always. :)

I really love the seasons of the Church. :) As we go through them, we
discover (and as we discover we begin to marvel) at this awesome union
of change and permanence, which we may call rhythm (thank you C. S.
Lewis).
And speaking of Church seasons, don't you find that we are constantly
waiting?, whether it is for Christ’s birth (Advent), death and
Resurrection (Easter). Sometimes I forget that this waiting in the
season of Advent is not just about celebrating the First Coming of our
Lord Jesus, but a time for me to realize how my heart waits for Him
who is to Come.

And I think the reason that I forget my longing for my Lord is that
maybe I'm not actively waiting. This might also be a reason why I can
be bored of a Church season too. It sounds funny to be actively
waiting, kind of like actively sleeping. How does one do it?

Last week my good friend, Olivia, came to Newfoundland for a few days.
Other than my dad, she's the only person from home who would be seeing
me in my new place! So this fact, coupled with the excitement of
spending time with her, meant I really wanted her to not only enjoy her
visit, but for her to see how excited I was that she would be here! And if I 
wanted her to enjoy her stay than I was going to have to work to make 
her visit rewarding.

Let's pretend I didn't actually do this all the night before but
spread it out over a few days. ;) I took a good look at my current
situation- the state of my place, the food in the fridge, the amount
of time I had, etc. I saw all the things that needed work, and that
didn't. I then thought about what I wanted for when my friend came,
and so it began!

I cleaned this and that- the blatant visible mess and that in the corners 
she would never see. I cooked and prayed
for mercy/her health simultaneously. I bought and set up a prayer
table I'd been meaning to make since I got here, just so I could get
her opinion on it. I made plans, found people who knew the city better
than I, changed and unchanged them a few times over.

But you know what? It was really wonderful. Not as wonderful as when
she actually arrived, or the time we were able to spend together, but
the joy of what was to come made all the planning and work to prepare
for her visit worthwhile. It was lovely to think that she'd get to see
a bit of my new life, and that I could share with her some of the
blessings I'd received by living here in Newfoundland.

Yet I also had a sense of peace knowing that regardless of how perfect
or imperfect my preparations were, Olivia would still be happy.
Because she came to see me after all—not my house :) (This proved
true, by the way).

Weirdly enough, that was a really great way to begin Advent. Because
this time, my Best Friend, who knows all there is to know about me, is
coming. And over time, I'm coming to know Him well too- I know what
He'll appreciate when He comes. I know what He appreciated last time!
What to present, what to prepare is what I'm working on now, and it's
a pretty peaceful, joyful process. Though a different kind of peace
and joy that will come when He arrives.

So how does one do it? Someone else can write about that. So far what
I understand is- just do it. ;)

Come Lord Jesus. We're waitinggggg.

(Leaving to work on actively sleeping right now.) ;)