“Ready when you are,” I shouted from the door leading to the garage. Seconds later I received a text that reminded me to grab something out of my home office. Heading back down the stairs I heard, “Ready when your are.” All I could do was chuckle at this regular exchange between Staci and I. Suffice it to say, it is a rare occurrence that we are both ready at the the same. It seems so much a part of our DNA that years ago our youngest son began to refuse to head towards the door unless both of his parents where actually standing there together.
Our well-acknowledged challenge is that neither one of us waits well for the other. Or maybe another way of framing it is that in the inevitable brief time we are waiting, we begin to think about all the other things we could get done while we wait. And I know we are not alone in this. Watch folks in a line at an airport, or waiting for food or even at a stoplight – all are filling their waiting space with tasks of some sort, often on their phones.
The Advent season invites us, dare I say challenges us, to NOT fill our waiting space. I know that sounds incredibly inefficient at best and uncomfortable at worst. However, when we allow our waiting space to be an empty place, in my experience, God’s grace begins to seep into our souls. I believe this is because God is always patiently waiting for us to empty our space in order to provide us with grace. And it is only that grace which will truly fill us, heal us and make us whole.
Two wonderful soulful friends, Lindsay Blount and Fran McKendree, wrote a powerful song called ‘Grace Awaits.’ It describes transformation that takes place when we create space for grace.
How can we see the light you leave
through so much animosity?
How can we not speculate
that the world won’t lose to so much hate
It’s tough to make our way through this night
We’ve lost the moon, the stars aren’t so bright
But grace awaits our letting go
to light the peace in the great unknown
We pull on strings that coincide
with manmade thoughts we think are right,
They turn to knots that look so grim
and pull us down ’til we can’t swim
It’s tough to make our way through this night
We’ve lost the moon, the stars aren’t so bright
But grace awaits our letting go
to light the peace in the great unknown
Some days we just dance alone
feeling for our balance on the wire
we’re hoping for a glimpse of home
leaning in and circling the fire
It’s funny how we tend to lead
as if we are the king of all things,
Until we find these roads we’re on
are precious parts to your great song,
It’s tough to make our way through this night
We’ve lost the moon, the stars aren’t so bright
But grace awaits our letting go
to light the peace in the great unknown
Awake awake
Your light has come
Awake awake my soul
O my soul