Love Comes in the Waiting: An Advent Reflection on Love
An Advent devotional
Scripture:
"Because of our God's deep compassion, the dawn from heaven will break upon us, to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide us on the path of peace."
-- Luke 1:78-79
I remember standing in an eerily empty airport during the early days of COVID-19, watching hours tick by in forced stillness. Sixteen hours of waiting stretched before me like an endless desert. In moments like these, when time seems to stand still, I've learned that God often does His deepest work.
This reminds me of Zechariah's story – a faithful priest who encountered an angel and, due to his doubt, spent nine months in silence. At first glance, this might seem like punishment, but I've come to see it differently. Those months became sacred space as he watched his elderly wife's miracle pregnancy unfold and his own heart expand to embrace God's unexpected plan.
Like seeds requiring darkness to grow, sometimes we need seasons of quiet for our faith to deepen. It's in these fallow times – the space between promise and fulfillment – that transformation takes root.
In our instant gratification world, waiting feels almost countercultural. Yet Advent invites us into exactly this kind of pause – a holy ground where God's love grows in unexpected ways. The greatest gift of love, after all, came not in a burst of glory but in the quiet vulnerability of a manger following centuries of faithful waiting.
Prayer:
Lord, help me embrace the waiting seasons of my life as spaces where Your love can take deeper root. Transform my impatience into trust, knowing that Your timing is perfect and Your compassion never fails. Amen.
Reflection Question:
Where in your life might God be using a season of waiting to prepare you for something new?
Steven E Fairbanks
Steven E Fairbanks
Steven E Fairbanks
Member discussion