Advent
(definition of advent - the arrival of an important person or thing)

When those I know and love dearly have told me they are coming,
I anticipate their arrival.
I write it down on my calendar and focus my preparatory activities
so that I am ready to welcome them when they come.
I want everything to be taken care of before they knock on my door;
I want to meet them at the door.

I have been challenged to wonder:
Is this how I am anticipating and preparing for Jesus' second coming?

When I think of those in Scripture who awaited the coming of Jesus
in such a manner,
I think of Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, and the magi.
They recognized Him because they knew the truth of Scripture
and they were looking for Him.

Do I long for and will I recognize the events
that foreshadow Jesus' second coming?
Am I prepared for that event,
or will I, as so many of the Jews, miss Him
because my expectations differ from the truth of Scripture?

Twila Charles Leichty
Christmas 2010