Waiting With Joy… Rejoice!
Instead of using the traditional pink candle to symbolize our joy in waiting for the Christ child, today I’m using a beautiful jade green. I think you’ll see why below. In following suit with my previous posts in this Advent series, I am reminded of the waiting process, and the beautiful colors I have observed while studying the metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly. Come and see the beauty in the stillness and waiting for what we know will become of the jade green chrysalis. Celebrate the gift of knowing He will come again!
Christ in me, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27
I find it quite wonderful that, in all of its yellow, black and white striped-ness, when the monarch caterpillar molts for the last time, it secures itself to its foundation and hangs upside down for about two days.
It emerges as a beautiful jade colored chrysalis. What a surprise! It makes sense though. All of its life it has eaten only the green milkweed plant. In the transformation, it has become the very substance of what it has taken in. In the same way then, if I faithfully take in the Word of God, shall I not become more like him? While this chrysalis is a symbol of waiting for the return of Christ in all of his glory, it has also become a symbol to me of waiting for my resurrected life that is to come.
Pray
We celebrate your presence with us, Emmanuel.
We rejoice in the hope that you are coming again.
We rejoice in the stillness and beauty of waiting, growing.
In the waiting, you are here, loving us, guiding us, changing us.
Thank you for the gift of time.
Help me to trust you in the waiting.
You have proved your faithfulness over all the ages.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
I am amazed by you, Oh God!
I love you and wait for you with open arms!
Come Lord Jesus!
Patricia Spreng
In his book (click... Discovering Advent, Mark D. Roberts writes that “In the Christian season of Advent we prepare for the “advent” of Christ at Christmas. Our preparation includes many things:
We remember Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore.
We remember our hope for the second coming of Jesus.
We remember our need for a Savior to save us from our sins.
We prepare to welcome Christ at Christmas into our world . . . and into our hearts.
Today we remember the joy of waiting, because we know how the story ends!”
(Roberts, Mark D. (2011-11-07). Discovering Advent: How to Experience the Power of Waiting on God at Christmastime (Kindle Locations 627-631). Patheos. Kindle Edition.)
It's such a good ending, isn't it?!
ReplyDeleteWaiting with open arms. What a great image!
ReplyDelete(So glad to have you linking up!)
As always, Pat, I love these connections. Thanks so much. AND THANK YOU for your help in establishing pages on my own blog. Wow - that was so kind of you. I did a little google research and figured out how to connect the pages to related posts and I think I'm set. It was actually fun to do and helped me feel just the tiniest bit more secure in my oh-so-limited techie skills! I am deeply grateful for your kindness - and your wonderful sense of humor!!
ReplyDeletePatricia, this has been a beautiful series. Thank you for taking the time to put it together... lovely.
ReplyDelete