Eager Anticipation

I have a co-worker who gets anxious every year to get Christmas decorations set up as soon as possible. His “acceptable” decoration time frame is at least a few weeks ahead of most people’s timelines. One year I started an office pool where everyone guessed on what day and at what time he would put out the request for decorations to go up. I lost but we had a lot of fun with it around the office. It was our own mini season of Advent waiting.

The waiting was for something silly and the stakes were inconsequential: I had offered a gift card to a local bakery. But something about the experience of collective anticipation was enjoyable and created a different kind of energy around the office. From that time I learned that there are two kinds of waiting that most people experience. The first is tiresome and leaves you asking “how long?” which is another version of kid's dreaded "are we there yet?" The second kind of waiting is hopeful, joyful, and eager. It watches and listens attentively with joy hiding just under the surface.

Israel’s waiting for Jesus had probably turned mostly into the first type: wearying, lonesome at times, and full of “how long” questions. This makes sense and is a perfectly acceptable way to wait on the Lord. Sin in and around us makes our hearts beg for God to show up.At the same time, I think we always ought to hold onto the second type of waiting even in our “how long” moments. I’d imagine the angels spent untold ages waiting for Jesus. In 1 Peter 2:12 we learn that indeed angels were longing to look into the mysteries of Christ’s coming.

Theirs was a waiting carried out in the presence of God. Knowing they would at one point in time be able to share their joy in knowing him with humans in the midst of our brokenness must have created tremendous joyful waiting. Imagine the happy, adrenaline-filled moment before the big group “SURPRISE!” at a surprise birthday extended out for ages. That was the angels waiting.

In our world we mingle both kinds of waiting. We know Jesus in a very real sense and do experience joy. We also struggle with sin, both our own and the world’s, and ask “how long oh Lord?”  The season of Advent is about waiting to celebrate the infant Jesus even as we await his glorious return. With Christmas coming, find some balance so that your “how long” weariness is mixed with the joyful “surprise party” anticipation. Luke 2:9-14 have been helpful for me:

“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heaving host praising God and saying,

            “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

I hope you experience the “joy bubbling just beneath the surface” kind of waiting this Christmas.