A Heart That Waits in Expectation

my prayers these days reflect lines from favorite carols....

"o come to us, abide with us, our lord emmanuel. and peace to men on earth."

i am finally realizing that Advent comes in the perfect season.(maybe i have missed it because i've only ever celebrated it by eating slightly stale chocolates from a calender that counts down the days until Christmas.) you see, it's getting on winter here, and though we'll probably never get any snow, the lazy winter light shines over an earth that seems tired,and bitter cold breezes whip my hair about and chill me to my core giving me notice that it is indeed upon us. and it makes me sad.

I'm the type of girl that prefers spring, abounding with life and color and all the possibilities of winter coming to fruition. so winter, for me, is too cold, too lonely and too full of waiting.

and i guess that would be the end of it, except for the hope of christmas.
somehow, all these years i've missed that. i missed that our lives also go through winters that are lonely and cold and heartbreak that goes on for far too long. and yet we have reason to Hope.
we hope because we have a promise to hold onto, that just as Christ came to bring light and life to people who had been waiting for him since as far back as they could remember, so we too await his return.

i await the day he comes again. but more importantly, i am reminded to hope. to wait in expectation for my redemption. so i wait with a heart full of hope when reasons to hope gave out awhile ago.
and i am expecting a miracle in the midst all this dreary cold.