The Season of Waiting

Winter is in the air.  Despite the raw wind and the temperatures so cold that we could see our breath, Larry and I bundled up and ventured out to Devil's Lake for a walk today.  In my faith tradition, today marks the first Sunday of Advent.  Regardless of the weather, I needed time after church to walk and reflect on it.  Advent is often referred to as a time of hope, of waiting, of anticipation.  Other than my understanding of the religious connotation of Advent, for what am I personally anticipating, hopeful or waiting?  Lately, I am devoting more of my energy to being present, being in the "now."  I'm less concerned with the anticipation of something to come and more focused on what the immediate moment has to offer.  My quiet, reflective time is teaching me that all I truly have is now.  Rather than a season of waiting, my Advent season is becoming one of openness.  I am gradually opening myself up to the many -- and often unexpected -- gifts that life offers to me now.  If I anticipate too much, strive too much, plan or push too much, I'm not fully honoring the Gift of Now.  My Advent season is filled with beginnings -- Each new day provides me with an opportunity to experience life's blessings with openness and gratitude and to find ways to be of service to others.