Finding time to wait in holiday rush

"Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14). As I read Scripture about the birth of Jesus and listened to sermons regarding Advent being a time of waiting, I thought something was indeed wrong somewhere. Because I felt I spent so much of life rushing to accomplish what I believed I should do, I seldom had time to wait. I decided to investigate how I could change my lifestyle so I could consciously wait for the birth of Jesus and also the second coming of our Lord during Advent.

I hurried to complete Christmas shopping, bake holiday delicacies and attend parties. I also enjoyed preparing items for the Christmas bazaar and sending Christmas cards. I wondered if Christmas would be as meaningful for me, and others, if I failed to finish all those preparations. Would I feel guilty, seem less caring, or be perceived as such? Would Christmas seem as joyful and heartwarming without all the colorful decorations and lights we enjoyed displaying each year?

As I became more frazzled, I stopped and speculated the necessity of including so many frills at Christmastime. Were they essential for baby Jesus to be welcomed in the proper fashion? By the time I finished all my rushing, little time was allocated for waiting.

I found myself performing activities based on the expectations of others. Thinking back on the birth of Jesus in the crude stable, I thought about how people, over 2,000 years ago, must have waited for his birth. Were they, too, exhausted from overextending themselves?

However, after further research and reading of Scripture, it seemed people's waiting consisted mainly of eagerness, praying and rejoicing. I decided to take time to consciously and actively wait for Jesus, spiritually, rather than overextending myself to fit the world's standards. I could trim the size of my holiday preparations.

After examining how I could best wait for the birth of our Lord, I decided to see who might enjoy a Christmas dinner invitation. Or perhaps I could cure my spiritual blindness and genuinely look to see who needed my assistance. Although I enjoy festive decorations, baked goods and gift exchanges, I contemplated God would rather I take time to dream a little -- to visualize living in a peaceful world and then look for something small I could do to advance it in my corner, or converse with God and imagine the feelings new babies bring. But I especially needed to rejoice knowing this baby was the one meant to lead us. "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46-47).

Ellen Shuck is director of religious education at St. Mary's Cathedral parish.