As Advent turns to Christmas, what do you find yourself waiting for? Late on Christmas Eve, the year I was six, I slipped out of my room and tiptoed down the hall. I peeked into the living room. Piles of presents had appeared under the tree. I could see one present was unwrapped, but I couldn’t see what it was in the dim light.
The next morning I ran to the tree. The unwrapped present was for me, or at least for my brother and me, a Chinese checker game. My dad, always ready to play a game, helped me learn how to move the colorful marbles around the board, and I’m sure he let me win. It was worth waiting through the night.
What are you waiting for? A family problem to resolve, the economy to turn around, the church budget to balance (maybe not this year…), the ministry to take off, finally? It can seem like a long wait. But sometimes you can catch a glimpse, just the dim outline of something you’ve been hoping and praying for. You can see a faint new light on an old troubled relationship. Someone steps forward and says they want to start a new ministry. You feel a new sense of clarity in your leadership. For now, the glimpses may be all you have. But keep your eyes open.
Have a blessed Christmas!