Time...

TIME is:
Too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice,
But for those who love---
Time is not.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven"
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Advent is a time to reflect, ponder and wait. We reflect upon what we have done and the direction our lives have taken in the past year. We ponder how God's Love and Law have been applied to our lives during this time. And we wait, for the Babe to be born in the manger to reaffirm our belief.

The Christmas season can and does go against all these. Between the visiting, shopping, celebrating, gift giving, decorating where do we find the time to reflect, ponder and wait? Do we work it into our daily lives by making it a point to spend a few minutes alone with God each day? Do we attend church services with an effort to be fully present in the moment? Do we wait to the very end and hope we have a little time left to spend before Christmas Day arrives? Perhaps we put it off until we spend an hour worshiping on Christmas Eve?

Texts tell us that Advent should be marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation and of longing. We yearn to be delivered from the evil of this world. Advent is celebrated as a time of happiness as we wait the coming of the King. However you manage to bring Advent into your daily life, do it with joyful anticipation of the Birth of the Babe of Bethlehem...with a song on your lips, a smile on your face and love in your heart. He deserves no less!