Until The Baby Comes Again, We Wait Well

​Christmas.

For Christians it creates an amazing and yet at times challenging parallel.

This December we have been walking toward Bethlehem, and yet, at the same time, waiting on Jesus. But then, after Bethlehem, we will be returned to walking, walking toward tomorrow, and yet, at the same time, waiting on Jesus.

Why would God do that, come to us to answer our waiting, only to leave and return us to waiting once again?

I certainly won't complain about that plan. I wasn't around the first time so I'm grateful to have not missed out on this chance to experience the second and final appearance.

I think in some way it boils down to this:

Jesus came the first time for those who had been waiting to say, I have come for you. And then when he left, he left with a very important question for the people then and the people now and all the people to come. He left asking, I have come for you, now the question is, will you come for me?

The first appearance was God's way of fully proving to us, I am pursuing you. So much so that I will die on a cross as a final demonstration of my pursuit. And now somewhere God watches and wonders of each of us, what will you do in the waiting to demonstrate your pursuit of me?

We walk toward Bethlehem today, the final steps, actively pursuing the baby in a manger. Fully trusting we will find the baby there.

But then we will return to waiting. What will the pursuit look like then? Because finding Bethlehem has never been about the waiting is over, it's always been about the waiting has really just begun. Finding Bethlehem has always been about Jesus finding us, and then challenging us to forever find him.

Forever waiting well for Jesus to come again to forever end the waiting.

What does waiting well look like?

For me personally, it looks like deepening my relationship with God every day. And honestly, that looks simply like me recognizing God's presence in my life as often as I can throughout the day. Sometimes that looks like a prayer. Sometimes it looks like me saying thank you for the mountains. Sometimes it sounds like me awkwardly and awfully singing along to a song.

It looks like me trying to be a light in the world. Jesus said whatever we do for the least of these, that we do for him. I have to imagine doing for others helps Jesus feel pursued. It has to make Jesus feel like I am waiting well.

It looks like me using the gifts God has given me. Writing this advent series has been my way of saying, you pursued me God through the giving of this gift of writing to me, I will now pursue you back with this gift. I will write my way to waiting well.

It looks like seeking peace in the world.

It looks like surrendering to God, releasing the need to plan every detail of my life in order to make room for God to write his details on my life while I am waiting. (Maybe the most difficult part of this waiting if I'm being real).

Waiting well for Christmas is a beautiful kind of waiting. Oh, how we long for that baby in a manger.

But then that baby arrives and then leaves us on a mission. He left us a challenge, that in the waiting for him to come again we would actively live lives that look like that baby never left.

"Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake" (Luke 12:37).

Tonight in our waiting, we sleep well, for the baby Jesus is coming.

But then tomorrow the journey becomes all about being awake.

Being awake, and waiting well.