First Pause, Then Cross
Practicing Patience With Ourselves
Reflection By Jan Kwiakowski
Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Today we reach the midpoint in our Advent journey. This is a good time to pause to look back at where we started, notice where we are now, and wonder or be hopeful about the final days of our journey. As we reflect we need to remember that there was a start, and there will be an end, to this Advent time. Truly, the only time we have is now, this moment.
We know Christmas is coming, but it is not here. The world around us may have rushed across the bridge to Christmas, but we have chosen to patiently journey to Christmas one Advent day at a time. We’ve come to the bridge that takes us into the final two weeks of Advent. Immanuel, God is with us.
Before crossing the bridge, you are invited to simply pause and be as present as you can to this day and to each moment of this day. One way to do that is to notice what you are grateful for in heart, soul, strength, and mind. Another is to reflect on what you have learned about practicing patience with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. Practice this pause in whatever ways Spirit is nudging you.
Making It Personal: In the rush of the season, what is it like for you to simply pause and be present? What bridge are you crossing into the last two weeks of Advent? Is there something you’d like to leave behind or take with you as you cross the bridge?
TO JOIN OUR PRIVATE FACEBOOK DISCUSSION GROUP FOR ADVENT, CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW:
Follow along with us this Advent season with our daily devotional and engage in discussion in our closed facebook group moderated by Robbin Brent, Carolyn Karl, Jan Kwiatowski, and Scott Stoner.
In this group, participants will have a chance to share their responses to the prompts in the daily readings, and also the chance to receive additional material for reflection.