.png)
FOR THURSDAY, ADVENT II
“When has God waited on you?” by Brad Clark, School for Ministry student
They say that time waits for no one—but it’s not true. I was 38 when I learned the truth…that time is the only thing I will ever truly own; that love is the only thing in life worth missing. When I was ten, I was with my mother when she answered a phone call…something was wrong. I can still see the receiver falling from her hand, dangling by its cord, a muted voice speaking on the other end of the line. She slid down the wall in a puddle and wrapped me in a weeping embrace. "My daddy died," she convulsed on my shoulder. I was the only one present to console her. Something inside me changed that day; her vulnerability etched my soul and I vowed that I would always protect her. But when I was 38, cancer's hideous grasp won the day. My mother died at the tender age of 63 and my world came tumbling down. She was my rock and I was hers. While my father long suffered from heart disease, I never once indulged in the notion that something might happen to my mother. I suddenly found myself trapped in a world void of a space large enough to contain my soul; I struggled to breathe. My parents had abandoned church when I was ten, for reasons unknown, and my relationship with God was tenuous. As I wrestled with my despair, I began to reflect on my new position in life. I had followed the proper secular paths…had married, climbed the corporate ladder, competed with my neighbors, and garnered lots of toys. But nothing was complete—everything was lacking. I could not find solacement. One day, while looking up at the moon…full and visible in a crisp blue sky, I imagined my mother cutting flips on the surface with all of her new and old friends. I imagined my reluctance to join in with them if I were there; unwilling to expose myself to their scrutiny. As clear as a bell, my mother's voice whispered in my ear, “Don’t be afraid to jump.” I was awestruck. Her words induced my search for God, and I found him in patient waiting. He pulled me, as if on a string, to a point of irresistibility. And in that anticipatory, irresistible moment, in that advent, he called me to be his—and I jumped.
Reading for the week: Isaiah 11: 1-10
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the
ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Collect for the week:
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Join us this Advent as we explore what it’s like to wait! We are offering a collection of daily questions and reflections inviting us to consider what we experience and learn in our waiting, and how we find God - and God finds us - in our waiting.
Each Sunday a brief video will be shared on Facebook and Instagram to introduce us to a focus and reflection for the week. Each day a question will be posted for us to ponder. You are invited to share your own reflections by replying to these posts or reposting on your personal social media. Please follow and use #diocgcwaits. Be sure to follow our diocesan social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram; search: DioCGC.
Comments