There is always something in my life that I’m waiting on, and lately it feels like I’m waiting on quite a lot of things, stuck in a kind of limbo until I get the answers I need to move forward. It’s easy to become frustrated in that place of waiting. This Advent, as we await the coming of the Christ Child, I hope to learn how to do a better job of waiting with purpose instead of just spinning my wheels, anxious for a change to come. There are gifts that God has given me in this very moment, right where I am, and if I’m too focused on the things still to come, I might miss the present moment.

Our anxieties in waiting for future events to occur often stem not from discontent in the present but from a fear that those future things will never truly come, that the rescue we’ve been promised will never actually arrive. In the face of this fear, I must repeat the words of St. Elizabeth: “Blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Blessed is our Mother Mary, who held firm in her confidence in the Lord’s promises, not allowing any fear of His inconstancy to distract her from being fully present right where she was, fulfilling her calling with joy and hope. Because she believed without hesitation, she was better able to prepare herself for all that was to come, spending no time in doubt and anxiety but instead focusing fully on her song of thanksgiving.

In our fast-paced culture, we’re used to receiving instant answers; having to wait for anything makes us unsettled. If it doesn’t come quickly, we begin to worry it isn’t coming at all. Let Advent remind us that the best things in life come slowly. We need patience and trust as we wait for God’s graces to fully take root in our lives, as He grows quietly within us. He is coming! Let us prepare the way and open our hearts to receive Him.