What Are We Waiting For?

On this, the cusp of my 36^th birthday, I woke up with a Trans-Siberian Orchestra song in my head.

Now, if you know me well at all, you will know that my musical tastes are all over the map, that I can rarely distinguish an artist or a song title, and that quite often I can’t even tell you that I own a particular song or album, just that it’s ‘what’s his face’ or you know, ‘that band.’

So the fact that I had the lyric ‘on this night, on this very Christmas night’ running through my head AND that I knew it was Trans-Siberian Orchestra was a huge WIN for me this morning.

With the help of Google and iTunes, I now own the song and have the lyrics to “Christmas Canon.”

This night we pray our lives will show

This dream we had each child still knows

We are waiting

We have not forgotten

On this night

On this night

On this very Christmas night

If you’re looking for an interesting alternative to your standard Christmas music this season, I recommend downloading a few of their songs – perhaps this one in particular.

As I reflect on this past year of life, the goals that have been accomplished, the dreams realized, I’m somewhat painfully aware that there are a few things I’m still waiting for. And just for the record, they may be pretty selfish things.

Thank you Jesus for reminding me today (again) of what’s worth waiting for.

In this advent season, on this night, on this very Christmas night, we are waiting… we are waiting for a savior, for the Christ-child to be born, for the impossible to be real, for the angel’s proclamation to be echoed throughout our lives.

What are we waiting for? Emmanuel, God with us.

Waiting for justice, waiting for wrongs to be righted, waiting for…

One of our retired volunteers out here at camp has a little girl in her life without half her face. She has doctors attempting to get the cancer out of her body by cutting off her nose and cheek. She’s waiting for healing or at the very least an extra year or two on her young life.

There are little kids, little babies, right here in our neighbourhoods, waiting for foster homes and adoption, whose parents waiting for help and relief and hope.

There are countries and communities waiting for peace, for cease-fire, for the absence of anger, strife and fear.

I know of families waiting for reconciliation, for new beginnings and a second chance.

I hear of grieving spouses waiting for the pain of loss to lessen, wondering if it ever will, and if it does, what does that mean.

I hang out with young friends; discerning career and family decisions, waiting for the right time for making changes, uncertain about their choices - how far to risk, how big to dream.

We’re all waiting for something I suppose, even if we have a hard time articulating it?

Today I hold the tension between the already and the not yet. We are waiting, we have not forgotten…and we will keep waiting – and I do pray that our lives will show that this waiting has not been in vain.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned….for to us a child is born, to us a son is given…and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9)

Come Lord Jesus come. We are waiting. We have not forgotten!