A Life of Advent

Christians around the world are in the season of Advent…a time of active waiting, anticipation, and heightened awareness of a God who is coming into the world all around us with hope and new life. Advent was created by people who lived in the northern hemisphere…people who paired advent themes with trees releasing their leaves and going to sleep, the air growing chill, bears and other critters hibernating…a time when it feels like all creation is slowing down and waiting for something.

A few weeks ago, I stood by the bee hives and said, “see you in the spring!” After a final hive inspection to verify honey stores, a mite treatment, and the gift of a pile of sugar on the top boxes for the winter months, I closed up the hives until March. I reduced the entrances to make the hives easier to defend as the colonies each go from about 30,000 strong to 10,000 winter bees.

Winter bees? I learned this year that late in the fall, as the weather begins to cool and the sunlight starts to decrease as we head toward the winter solstice, the worker bees have the queen start laying “winter bees”…bees that will not live 40 days, like during honey flow…but 120 or more days…bees whose role in life includes helping the hive wait until the spring flowers begin to bloom. Winter bees. Waiting bees? Advent bees?

What if your whole life was Advent? A LIFE of active waiting… A LIFE of preparation and anticipation… A LIFE of hope and heightened awareness of the numinous in all things around you…

It sort of sounds a bit overwhelming at first thought, right? Yet, I believe life begins anew every day and one step at a time…maybe…one advent step at a time. Whatever season or seasons you find yourself in right now, make a little space to practice waiting and anticipating…to see the grace in all creation around you…actively waiting WITH and FOR you.

Always waiting for wonder,
Harold