August Advent, part 1: Still Waiting

We continue to wait for approval of our visa paperwork. Waiting reminds me that I cannot control the processes external to me, yet I can choose my attitude and posture during the waiting. And so I want to blog as a way to help me frame this waiting with Hope rather than anxiety and frustration

New Oxford American Dictionary defines “advent” as “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.”

For us, this next phase of life and ministry is notable, and so we consider it an Advent.

We spent the past few weeks (and 5600 driving miles) seeing family, friends, and congregations who support our work as missionaries. What an amazing time to tell of this journey. And while we tired of repeatedly saying, “we’re waiting…” we enjoyed recounting all the instances of God’s faithfulness along this journey and all of the “Holy Winks” that have occurred along the way.

I think traveling helped occupy our time and make the waiting more manageable, yet now that we’re back in Colorado it feels a bit more unsettling.

Many times I said, “God knows when school starts for the kids, and so we’re hoping that we will arrive before that time. And if not, then we have to trust and hope that there is something else at work.”

Honestly, though, I have trouble thinking about how I would keep the kids in a space of hope if this doesn’t happen. My Camino journeys remind me that I don’t have to think about that right now, because that hasn’t happened yet. What I do know is “today” and “now,” and so in that we trust that God will be faithful - even if the plan looks a little different than we had imagined.