Waiting in Joyful Hope
“Now the people were filled with expectation” (Luke 3:15)
“Now the people were filled with expectation” (Luke 3:15)
As we enter into the third week of Advent, we are truly in the midst of the expectancy and waiting before the birth of Jesus. We are all experiencing Advent in different ways. Maybe we are feeling like Advent is similar to a waiting room at a doctor’s office and Jesus is taking forever to show up or maybe we are rushing around finishing Christmas shopping and Jesus is not taking the place in our minds and hearts he should be.
Something a prominent Catholic social media account posted last year in Advent has stuck with me. He said, “Maybe Advent isn’t a waiting room, maybe it’s a table for two.” At first that might not make any sense, but I think it speaks to the expectation and anticipation we should have.
Advent is a time to be filled with joy in the waiting and expecting. It’s an opportunity to allow Christ into our hearts in an intimate way in order to prepare space for his incarnation. A waiting room at a doctor’s office is a passive and almost anxious waiting. A table for two is a deep conversation while preparing to be nourished and fed- in this case, nourished and fed by the Lord. It’s not enough to passively wait- our hearts ought to become a dwelling place for Christ.
Take time to more intentionally engage in your relationship with the Lord as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of Christ!
Has Advent been a passive waiting or am I filled with joyful hope?
Lord, help me to work with you to make space in my heart for your incarnation. Please give me the grace to live and wait with joy the rest of this Advent season. Amen.
Brittany DeHaan grew up in San Antonio, Texas and attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for college. She taught at a Catholic elementary school in Iowa for a year before moving to Florida in 2021. She taught at St. Paul Catholic School in St. Petersburg for two years before joining the pastoral center where she is currently the Communications Coordinator. She is passionate about her faith and loves to be involved in the diocese. She loves music, art, playing sports, and livestreaming Geoguessr in her free time.
