Many of us belonged to Girl Guides/Boy Scouts in our youth. The motto of both these groups is, “Be Prepared.” This mostly refers to being prepared in terms of life-saving resources, and staying one step ahead in case of an emergency, but it can certainly pertain to emotional readiness as well.
The first candle this year represents peace, peace during the difficult times in our lives, the happy and even mundane times, and especially during the difficult period of waiting.
During this time in the Bible, God was speaking through his Prophets, instructing them to tell the whole world that they needed to “be prepared” for God. How can we do that? One way we prepare during Advent is to light four candles on our Advent Wreath, while praying for the arrival of our Messiah. The first candle this year represents peace, peace during the difficult times in our lives, the happy and even mundane times, and especially during the difficult period of waiting. Waiting for our Messiah is hard, but it is also exciting.
Yet there are many periods in our life where we are waiting for something that we long for, cry out for, and aren’t even quite sure whether or not we will receive it. May God reward us for our patience and faithfulness. May we ask him to remind us that his timing is always perfect, and that the reward is always worth the wait. Especially this reward, the birth of a sweet baby, the Saviour of us, and of our world. Amen!