Equipped to Wait

The Christmas season has officially begun!! In the Philippines, we start the decorating in September, so my newsfeed has been full of Christmas themed pictures and plans from family for awhile. I always thought that it was such a long time to wait. If you asked my Lola (grandmother) what she had planned for Christmas, her list always started with the Filipino desserts first, and then she’d say what was the actual meal. For whatever reason, it was always the sweet end of the meal she’d plan first.

Lola has been gone from us for 15 years, but I still remember the stories and the family traditions that we brought here to the States. For example, my family truly celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve. In the Philippines it would be celebrated at midnight. We spend all this time planning for that special time, and the anticipation is palpable from the moment the first decorations go up.

I was thinking about this now that the wait has begun for Christmas to come. As Advent devotions and passages are circulating, I came across this one:

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus… Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly await the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:3, 7

God has equipped us to wait in this time before Jesus returns. I have never connected that verse to Christmas before. This time of year, I’m usually thinking of Advent and its themes. Yet, this is a “waiting” season. And we have been truly gifted grace and peace and all other spiritual gifts as we wait in this turbulent world-- we are equipped to wait, even eagerly!

Now I know the verses relate specifically to Christ coming back, but whether we wait a long time or a short time, we are still waiting. And it is always encouraging to know that our good heavenly Father has equipped us to wait, for and in Jesus. As a kid, waiting for Christmas was so hard. But my parents would help us by letting us have a gift early (usually on Christmas Eve), or bake cookies, go to Christmas events, equipping us for the wait. I don’t know what your family situation is this season but know that God sees and equips you as you wait.