Yesterday afternoon did not go at all how I had planned. Six hours off and on the phone with Apple Support and my old laptop has still not fully been restored to the Operating System it had been running on. Six hours. Six hours I had expected I would be decorating the house for Christmas with my daughter. An afternoon she had set aside for me turned into unmet expectations for both of us.
In fact over the past few days in our home we’ve had several episodes of unmet expectations that has left me feeling a little blah. (Anyone else experience unmet expectation over this Thanksgiving break!?) With my daughter home from college and the holidays here, feeling blah is not how I imagined me to be . But circumstances, relationships and unmet expectations can lead us to sing the blues. Though if you’ve read my posts long enough you know as I do that the real problem is never the circumstances, relationships or unmet expectations but a pointer to something deeper – a ruling heart idol. Exactly why my heart needed the gospel on this first Sunday of Advent (and every other day)!
In the tradition of Advent, at our church this morning, as in churches around the world, the Prophecy candle was lit after reading about the promised One to come. The One who has come.
During this season, we remember and celebrate his coming with anticipation because he came as our greatest gift. He came to make us whole. Apart from him we will never find the peace we long for. We turn to people and things to fill our soul holes and when they don’t meet our expectations we feel justified in our negative emotions, and empty. Fa la la blah. Funk easily settles on our soul and what we typically do is look for something else – someone else – to make it better. To make us okay.
I saw this tendency in myself this week – not that I tried to replace my people, but I did want to fix my people (as if they were the problem and infringement to my peace, comfort and joy). But it doesn’t work that way. Only complete peace, comfort and joy can be found in him. But I must first see my need and false worship for what it is. Unbelievably despite our sin, he loves to give away his holy perfection to make his people right.
As I ponder this reality – that he came to give himself completely to make me whole – and yet I act as if it wasn’t enough, I am struck with Advent Awe.
His coming changed/changes everything… and that is the reality I want to live in. Expectation of his love, grace and mercy to go forth: To heal hearts. To fill soul holes. To clothe in righteousness. To offer forgiveness. To give life. To make all things right, even when nothing in this world seems right.
He came as the promised Messiah – the Savior of the world – just as the scriptures foretold. And when he did he left nothing undone so our hope and our promise remains in: It is finished.
This Advent Season my prayer for myself and my family and for all of us is we would wait with expectation for Christ. For his love to come down and for grace to break through because this he promised. Fa la la la la.
Blah becomes AWE when I remember who he is: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..” His promises to me and to the world never go unmet.
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Love this.
Needed to hear this !
As always, you hit the nail on the head! I think holidays remind us of the past and we want to recapture those memories every year. In times of uncertainty and so much of the unknown, holidays are the the days we totally know what to expect, and that is so comforting. When our expectations aren’t met, we feel disappointment. The only thing that will never change or fail us is Jesus. Thanks for sharing such wonderful stories.
So thankful to be a recipient of your gift of expression! ❌⭕️❌⭕️