Expecting

"This little Baby is born again,
been reborn in the hearts of men.
Every Christmas,
this Child is born again."
- This Baby is Born Again

It's Advent. The time of year for waiting. The time of reflection when we prepare for the coming of Christ. The period of expecting.

Our family has been lighting a candle every night with dinner to remember our hope for the coming of our Savior. We've also been using a 6 minute reflection guide which looks at Jesus' birth story from the gospel of Luke. It's been very helpful for me to read, pray and reflect.

Today's entry talked about Elizabeth and Zacharias' story. With God's help, Elizabeth became pregnant after years of being "barren" (gosh, I hate that word). She was filled with the holy spirit. She and Zecheria obeyed the Lord and named their son John. Their John was John the Baptist. He was born a few months before Jesus. The reflection guide said that this story is not often mentioned with the story of Jesus' birth. It takes a back seat to the main event. The guide revealed that God never makes us take a backseat. In God's eyes, we are all the main event.

We have our own story of expecting. After months of reflecting, praying and talking, Mark and I have decided to adopt a third child. We've started the initial paperwork for our homestudy, and in the next couple of months should be finished. Then we begin the process of waiting.

Our "expecting" is a blessing for us in this time of Advent. It may not be the main event, but it is still imortant to God. Being in a state of waiting during a liturgical time of waiting makes Advent even more special to me. This is sure to be my most spiritual Advent to date.