God’s Patient Promise
Christmas Eve
Reflection By Robbin Brent
Make our hearts leap with joy, and fill our mouths with songs of praise, that we may announce glad tidings of peace, and welcome the Christ in our midst.
- prayer excerpt from Daily Prayer for All Seasons
During a contemplative retreat I attended ten years ago, we were invited to introduce ourselves and to name what we were bringing or leaving behind. One young woman introduced herself by saying, “I let go of hurry …” while dropping her left shoe to the floor, “and worry,” as her right shoe dropped to the floor. I can still hear the sound of her shoes hitting the floor and the wisdom in her awareness of the relationship between hurry and worry. Her actions and words inspired me to reflect more deeply on the idea that hurry and worry often go together as co-conspirators in the sabotage of my own well-being, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and my ability to be patient.
The story of Jesus’ birth is one that unfolds in God’s time, not ours. As many of us scurry around with last-minute preparations for Christmas celebrations, let us pause today and welcome, with joy, song, and hospitality, the anticipation of the birth of Jesus in a few short hours. In the midst of any hurry and worry, let us remember God’s promise of joy, peace, and love, for all the world. Let us be patient in our waiting, as God has been infinitely patient with us.
Making It Personal: Have you experienced a connection between the stress caused by “hurry and worry,” and your ability to be patient, with yourself, with others, or with God? In your desire to be more patient, what practices have you found helpful?
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