CrossPoint Family and Friends,
Christmas is here! I can hardly believe it. I’ve had a number of conversations lately about how fast 2023 seemed to go for many folks. I remember reading years ago that this would happen in midlife (I am 41), time would seem to speed up. There are a few theories as to why this happens in our brains and bodies, but no matter the cause, I have been struck this year by how the virtue of patience is affected by the speed of our lives. Now, there are about ten different strands that I would like to explore here, but for the sake of time (it’s going so fast 😊) I’d like to share just one of my thoughts about this.
My personal Advent commitment this year is about cultivating patience! What I am discovering is that patience is not expressed through self-sufficiency, “white knuckling,” or simply bearing down under the burden of waiting and longing. Patience is cultivated through the practice of asking for help, seeking God’s presence, and persistently knocking on the door of heaven.
Advent means “arrival.” The Advent season is a period of time set aside to train our bodies, hearts, and minds in the waiting for and longing for the arrival of our Messiah, our Savior. Advent is about cultivating the virtue of patience.
As we move into 2024 and recommit to rhythms and habits, I challenge you to commit with me to maintain the spirit of Advent in your daily life through these three practices based on Jesus teaching in Matthew 7:
ASKING – Ask God and others for what you need. Asking means, using words not just thoughts. I know God can read your mind, but he wants you to use your voice, your actual voice, to ask Him for what you need. You need to hear yourself ask too! It’s amazing how asking for what we need will cultivate patience and a greater sense of longing. Do you know what you need? Start with your need to belong and matter and pray these simple breath prayers:
God, I need to be seen.
God, I need to be heard.
God, I need safety and security.
God, I need wisdom.
God, I need a friend.
SEEKING – Look for God’s presence in your ordinary life. I’ve heard it said, “Where focus goes, energy flows.” Focus on efficiency helps us get stuff done! Focus on God’s presence in our ordinary lives will cultivate patience because his presence always comes with a bit of mystery. Seeing the image of God in the face of a stranger, pausing to take in the sunset, or noticing the Holy Spirit’s movement in your soul as you sing a song to God. When we attend to God’s nearness we don’t have to be so controlling and time slows down.
KNOCKING – Insist on God’s justice in your life. In Luke 18 Jesus tells the story of the “persistent widow” who is waiting for justice and says that surely God will give justice to his children who cry out day and night. If we are honest, just like the widow in Jesus’ story, we all need justice in our lives in some way. The Advent mantra passed down through the ages from the saints is the cry, “Come Lord Jesus!” These words can become our persistent knocking on heaven’s door waiting for God’s deliverance from whatever or whoever seems to be holding us captive. Daily praying the prayer “Come Lord Jesus!” will cultivate patience in our bodies, stir longing in our hearts, and allow our minds to slow down enough to live defined by the Advent that has already happened and the confidence of the Advent to come.
I write these words for you and for me. These reflections on Advent and this definition of patience are helping me relax and be less anxious as I enter 2024. I hope these words encourage you too. Thanks for joining me on the journey. Merry Christmas and a Joyful New Year to each of you!
Peace and Joy,
Clif
