{"id":5993,"date":"2019-12-07T06:13:12","date_gmt":"2019-12-07T11:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/?p=5993"},"modified":"2019-12-07T09:38:42","modified_gmt":"2019-12-07T14:38:42","slug":"waiting-not-our-favorite-thing-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/waiting-not-our-favorite-thing-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Waiting . . . not our favorite thing."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Waiting...not<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Advent (from the Latin, ad venio<\/em>) means \u201cto come\u201d or \u201cthe coming\u201d. It is a time when we begin to watch for something that we\u2019re told is coming toward us. But for now . . . it\u2019s not here yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This creates a tension that most of us don\u2019t like. My eye\nwants to see \u201cit\u201d. The act of looking is a search for an\nobject to lock onto. But when I look – – it\u2019s not there.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what do we do? If it\u2019s important enough, we keep looking, which then becomes waiting. Waiting is not our favorite thing. We\u2019ve tried over the past thirty years to do away with as much waiting as possible. Think of it: instant coffee, microwave cooking, fast food, 4G hook-ups, bar codes, email, computer banking, speed dating, etc. etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask any systems engineer and they will tell you that\nwaiting is wasted time. It\u2019s bad business. Time is money.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then right in the middle of the busiest time of the year\nwe have this totally contrary message from the Church.\nShe tells us to \u201cprepare\u201d, to \u201cexpect\u201d, to \u201chope for\u201d, yes,\nto \u201clong for\u201d. Waiting is good she tells us. It\u2019s a sign of\nlove. We wait expectantly for that which we love.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And isn\u2019t it the case that those things which are most precious are just the ones that cannot be hurried? Let\u2019s be honest, waiting requires patience (Latin, \u201cpati\u201d<\/em> \u2013 to suffer). Ask an expectant mother what waiting is all about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There really is no other way to spin it. It takes endurance, strength, and forbearance to remain in a state of expectation. It stretches us. Proves our perseverance and our trust in that which is \u201ccoming\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

So what do we \u201cdo\u201d in this time of waiting? A few suggestions: <\/p>\n\n\n\n