Where Has God Been?

Now we prepare for the return.
Aching in absence we mark off the days.
Four candles we burn.
Without and within we make preparation,
focusing, waiting for God's restoration.

And yet
where has God been?

Seasonally, cyclically, recounting again
the comings, the goings, the beginning, the end,
recalling His life, recalling our hearts.

But perhaps our roles are reversed?
We that have died and are waiting for birth?
It is God who is constant and we who come back.
We need reminding that our lives are off-track.

Where has God been?

Here with us, for us,
always right here.
But our wonderings and wanderings
need checking each year.
And so in our rituals, customs, and dance,
preparing our hearts for the season's advance,

We wait for the Holy
marking the days.

We wait for the clanging and clutter of life
to give way to this one
most silent of nights,
making room in the inns of our hearts
for the saving child
both humble and lowly.
We wait for the holy.

Through all the tinsel and trimmings we search
and return all too slowly
to the blessedness of giving
and the tenderness of love.
We wait for our own
return to the Holy.

Oh come, oh come Emmanuel
and ransom captive Israel.

Anonymous


Tomorrow begins the third week of Advent. The third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday because we have passed the midpoint of the season. Gaudete is Latin for rejoice. This is found in Philippians 4:4,5: "Gaudete in Domino semper" ("Rejoice in the Lord always"). The priest wears rose colored vestments and the third candle of the Advent wreath is pink. Both represent a time for joy that our Savior's birth is fast approaching.

Amidst all the negative events, words and actions of others in this world, how am I seeking to find joy amidst the turmoil this Advent season? Where is God in all of the chaos and clutter of life? How am I doing in preparing for Christ's birth? What am I doing to prepare for His birth?

This Advent poem helps to re-focus and re-center myself from the earthly distractions of this world and channel my energy toward the spiritual world. God is always available to me; I just need to make the time and effort to reach out to Him through quiet reflection and prayer.

The events of the past week were definitely challenging for me. A blizzard and a flat tire are only a few. However, I did experience joy in all of it. Both served as ways God succeeded in slowing me down to realize He was present to me through the various people he brought into my life; through the beauty of a foot of snow; by receiving 8 general admission tickets to the Iowa State versus Iowa women's basketball game and attending it with two STA students; through a "snow day" from work which interrupted the routine of a Wednesday by not having to attend a weekly staff meeting! ;o)

The week ended with two more joyful moments.

Yesterday morning, I reunited and rekindled an old friendship by meeting Gina, a high school classmate. We met for breakfast at Stomping Grounds, an Ames coffee house near campus. Gina is an agronomy lecturer at Iowa State. It was the first time we had seen each other in years and since I relocated to Ames nearly three and a half years ago! Her Irish spunk and "the sky's the limit" attitude have not changed a day since we graduated from Dubuque's Wahlert High School! It brought me great joy to pick up where we last left off along each of our life's journeys! She is an amazing woman whom has traveled the world! I immediately thought and saw my two "wedding crasher" friends, Tim and Mike, through her. The three of them would become instant friends!

Lastly, God revealed Himself to me through a woman needing rental assistance. Unfortunately, the St. Thomas policy is not to accept walk-ins for our Love Your Neighbor program; it is only by phone call we schedule appointments. Double unfortunately, all of the appointment slots for next week were filled. All I could give her was reassuring words that everything would work out for her. In return, she gave me several hugs and I saw joy well up in her eyes. It is through all these instances, I encounter the "God of Sweet Surprises!" And, boy, all of these examples were very sweet, indeed!

As we continue our Christmas shopping, baking and parties, let us embrace the words of St. Paul to the Philippians during this third week of Advent: "Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again, rejoice!"