Faith in the Forest

Mike’s ‘thought’ in The Forester (1 December 2011):

Before entering full-time ministry, I spent 5 years working in America. I hoped to buy a Harley while I was there, but the local dealer wouldn’t even take orders until a particular day when they planned to sell the entire next year’s allocation of bikes. People camped at the dealership for days, queueing to place orders. I camped out one night and got my order in, but it was another 18 months before I got the bike I wanted. When it finally came, the dealer gave me a T-shirt with a picture of my bike and the caption ‘Worth the Wait’. I still have the T-shirt and the bike!

It was worth the wait! The waiting made the whole experience more exciting, meaningful and memorable.

Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, is a time when Christians wait and anticipate what is to come – thinking about Christmas, and also the time when Jesus will come again, in glory for everyone to see. Thinking about the meaning of the first Christmas – God choosing to come and live with his people, to restore and build relationships with us. Thinking about the implications of the second coming – God choosing to be with us for ever in a place with no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

As you prepare for Christmas and open your Advent Calendars, enjoy the waiting. It will make the whole experience more exciting, meaningful and memorable. And maybe think about the implications of Jesus coming again.

Mike Barnsley