by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Waiting for Christmas

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Patience is a conquering virtue.” – Geoffrey Chaucer

Fishing will test a person’s patience. The days that I have not caught a fish are probably double the days that I have. Looking at these two people fishing in the vast Pacific Ocean, it’s no wonder that fishing tests our patience.

I would like to know what Chaucer was thinking when he penned these words above. Had he experienced some tragedy that tested his patience? Was he involved in a relationship that pushed his patience? Was he suffering some illness from which he was struggling to recover?

There are numerous things that test our patience, especially during the Advent season. Advent is about preparing for Jesus’ coming; his coming to us as a baby, his coming to us in his word, his coming to us in the fullness of glory. Interrupting what Advent is are the pressing needs to buy presents, clean the house, put up decorations, buy Christmas clothes, attend parties. No wonder we run short of patience this time of year!

Along with patiently waiting for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we fill our time with things that have little to do with waiting for his arrival. The by-product of our frantic pace of life is that when Christmas does arrive we’re not ready, we’re not prepared for the coming of Jesus as God veiled in humanity.

The reward for a person who patiently waits to catch fish is that one day, for whatever reason, a fish will take the bait. The reward for patiently waiting for Christmas is the surprise that God has for us, the surprise that we are loved by God some much that he gave us Jesus.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
John 3:16-17 English Standard Version

Maybe Chaucer was correct.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado