What are YOU waiting for?

Even though it is only the beginning of November, you’ve probably noticed that many stores, both brick-and-mortar and online, have been set up for holiday shopping for quite some time.  This year, in particular, I’ve been amazed by the variety of advent calendars that are available for purchase.  From cheese and alcohol to fragrance and nail polish, and of course toys and chocolate, there seems to be something for everyone.  I’ve even seen advent calendars for dogs and cats!  Despite the abundance of calendars that are available, I wonder if the real meaning of advent has been lost?  Traditionally, advent refers to the four weeks before Christmas.  It is a time of spiritual preparation and it tends to focus on four themes such as hope, peace, joy and love.  It is a time of waiting.  These calendars certainly focus on joy and perhaps love of family if you buy them for loved ones, but what about hope and peace?  And what about the waiting?  Are there benefits to learning how to wait for something in life?

As some of you know, I am currently taking a course on spiritual formation.  It is not what I expected, to be honest.  A recurrent theme, I am learning, is that true spiritual development seems to be a process which requires patience.  We are not really in control of the process which is hard for people like me who like to be in control.  Also, the process does not actually involve learning “magic bullet” techniques that will bring a quick spiritual maturity, a kind of instant gratification that is so commonplace in our culture.  Like many things in life, often, the path of spiritual development involves waiting and listening.
So I invite you to consider, what you are waiting for this November?  Will it bring hope, peace, joy or love for yourself, for your family, for the community?  What does waiting mean to you?  How will you wait?  And naturally if you want to engage in some self care while you are waiting, of course, you could try a calendar full of bubble bath or even some Reflexology! 😉
Healthy blessings to you!