What Are We Waiting For?

When I was a child, I could not understand Advent. If Christ had already come into the world, why were we pretending to yearn for His coming again?   Even as an adult, it took years for me to see what Advent was all about:  We are waiting for the birth of Christ, our Savior, in our own hearts.

We are waiting for His light to overcome our personal darkness; we are waiting for that joy which never goes away; we are waiting for the peace that the world cannot give us.  Jesus said to the woman at the well, "If you knew who was speaking with you, you would ask, and He would give the spring of water that wells up to eternal life."  I have written previously about Is. 12:  With joy, you will draw water from the well of salvation.

That's what we are waiting for -- the water that means we will never thirst again, the water that satisfies our deepest thirst, the water poured out in us by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.  The power of Jesus' Resurrection means that we are born again, no longer from Adam's race, but from the Spirit of God.  And the Gift of God to us is joy, peace, light, and love.  This is what we are waiting to be born in us.

Jesus tells us to ask the Father for the Gift of the Spirit (see Matt. 7 and Luke 11).  And St. Paul give us a clue about how to receive the Gift:  Have no anxiety at all, but in everything give thanks, making your requests known to God.  Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil.4).

One time I was experiencing a great deal of anxiety about something in my life.  As I got out of the car on my way to teach class, I said, "O God, what am I going to do?"  Immediately the answer came to me:  THANK ME!    Still very downhearted, I said, "Okay.  I praise you for....."   And again, the Spirit of God spoke in my heart, "No.  THANK ME!"   Suddenly I understood that we praise someone for who they are or what they are:  "You are so kind;  You look lovely today.  You are so smart...clever....beautiful, etc."   

But we thank someone for very specific gifts or kindness given to us:  "Thank you for the fruitcake; thank you for stopping to fix my flat tire;  thank you for visiting me."  

In my sudden understanding, I began to search around for very specific things for which I could thank God, and as I looked up, I saw a gorgeous blue sky with white clouds that brought a smile to my face.  "Thank you for this beautiful day!" I said.  And then as I walked across campus, I found more and more things for which I could thank God.  By the time I got to class, I was a much more joyful person than the one who had gotten out of my car a few moments previously.

Thank You, Jesus, for the Gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, Who teaches us these things and Who brings us out of darkness into Your Marvelous Light!