As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.
These past couple days have presented me with a couple of surprises and challenges. One of the greatest surprises is that happened yesterday was that GOP Candidate for MN Governor Tom Emmer finally conceded the race to DFL Candidate Mark Dayton. This was of particular concern to me because of either Tom Emmer or the recount efforts had dragged on any longer it would have resulted in over $1 million in medicare money gone from Minnesota in January 2011. Governor Elect Mark Dayton is in favor of seeing to it that people in need have health care of some kind. He has promised to see that money returned in January.
The other not so good surprise I got yesterday was while I was driving home from an appointment the driver's side rear tire on our car had a flat. I was on MN 100 southbound at about 4:15pm. We already have our spare tire on the passenger side rear, so we did not have another spare available. This is where the modern day of cell phones comes in so very handy. I was able to call my husband at work to ask him to call the insurance company to see if we could have the car towed home so that we can figure out what to do. He was able to call and within about an hour a tow truck arrived with a flat bed to deliver me and our car home.
Today, I had to figure out how to do something else. We needed groceries and medicine, but we had no car and Jason has the bus card. So, I had to walk over the bridge to the pharmacy and the grocery store to get what we needed and walk it home. It was a long hard walk. But, it was good to get out and get some exercise.
The past couple days I have been so busy taking care of the things that are in front of me that settling down to do my Daily Office has not been possible for me. And so as I do things, I say "thank you, God." As I am able to call Jason to help get me a tow truck to tow our car home, I say: "Thank you, God." As I have a dear friend who will help us get our tire situation taken care of and a safe walk to and from the store, I say: "Thank you, God." Even though I have not really stopped to pray today, God is still walking beside me, giving me the graces to take each step at a time and little by little we get through each moment and each day. It is a reminder that our life with God is not totally dependent upon making sure we pray our Hours every day, though that is important. We are totally dependent upon God to initiate and to come to us in our hours of need. And when we take the time to say "thank you, God" God responds and gives us all the more grace to live through each and every difficult moment.
During this Season of Advent we are watching and waiting for the coming of Christ. The watching and waiting is not so much dependent on us sitting and waiting as if in a doctor's office. The watching and waiting comes when we turn to look for God and are willing to allow God to come and help us on God's terms, not our own. When we refuse to give up hope even if the Senate just failed to pass the vote for cloture on Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but wait to see how God is going to come to the aid of those many women and men who want to serve openly in our Military, God will show us God's awesomeness even yet. As we watch and wait to see how this horrible economy will some day hopefully change so that more Americans and Immigrants can be gainfully and legally employed and earning some kind of income for themselves and their families, God has yet to reveal God's most perfect will.
The Season of Advent helps us reflect on the "already, but not yet" in awaiting the reign of God. God has already come once in history in Christ and has redeemed all of humankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus. But, God has not yet consummated all of humankind as God's reign, because Christ has not yet returned at the end of time. Yet, as we watch and wait for Christ to return ours is not to sit around waiting for the next bang to tell us that something wonderful has happened. As Christians and others of good will reach out our hands to those who are suffering because of illness, the economy or because of social, political and religious oppression, God's reign becomes even more known in our world and time. When we work through every difficult moment looking for God to reveal how God intervenes on behalf of those whom God loves, we are watching and waiting even still for Christ to come and show the fullness of God's grace and mercy in our lives and world. Things will not always turn our way. Yet, God promises to give us the grace of God's Holy Spirit to be with us, even if God does not answer our prayers exactly as we might wish. (See Matthew 7: 7-11). God is still closer to us than we are often to and with ourselves. God loves us unconditionally and all inclusively. All we need to do is say thank you, God for that and little by little we will see that God does the rest.
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. (Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, page 211).
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
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