Wait

An Advent Poem & Reflection

Advent is a sacred space on our calendar; a welcome recline after a hard year and a simultaneous straining toward hope. It is a chance to reflect back on Jesus’ humble incarnation while also yearning for his promised return. This in-between space creates a holy longing for the Kingdom to come in its fullness. Here, joy stands on the shoulders of lament, and hope holds hands with grief. This advent season, I pray you experience the beauty of both celebration and pining. And as you wait, I wish you all the wonder possible.

Here’s an excerpt from a poem I published a few years ago about the agony & beauty of the in-between. Read (or listen to me read) below.

WAIT

What I wouldn’t give to rise
from this window seat of longing
and brave my way into the gray
and through the gray to part the veil
that obscures life from Light

If I were a bird, I would nest in you
Glory in your shade and shelter
Pluck the healing from your hands
and place your promise—honey-sweet—on my tongue.

Yet…
your already-but-not-yet kingdom
will not receive me.
Not yet.

I must wait—
face and hands pressed against the glass
Peering, seeing only dimly now

I must wait—
for your hand to throw open the palace gates,
for your hand, to lift the curse, to lift my chin

I must wait.

Write your name upon my brow
Place your pledge upon my finger
Tuck your flower in my hair

I will wait.

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I would love to hear your thoughts. How do you navigate the tension of the already/not yet? What are you waiting for this Advent?