Advent Reflections - Week 3 - Dianne Niethe
JAMES 5:7-10 Be patient brothers and sisters until the coming of the Lord . . . .
Since man committed the first sin in the Garden of Eden, all of mankind was set on a course of struggle, fraught with pain and suffering.
So much of our lives are now spent in darkness – the darkness created by greed; or the darkness of living without any moral compass; or the darkness of livinag in despair, a place where hopelessness and helplessness abound.
We all live with stressors, probably different from those suffered by God’s people during Biblical times. Today you might experience the stress of a poor marriage, or the stress of being unemployed, or from both physical and emotional cancers which surround us or even attack us. “Be Patient!” Patience is not something you pray that God will give you. It is deep within you and is like a medication, an elixir to help cure your ills. It gives birth to strength necessary to sustain us through life’s trials.
We must daily seek out the glory of our God. Maybe you’ve seen a glimpse of His glory while sitting beside a lake, watching the sunset; or felt His glory as you leisurely walked along a leaf laden path on a crisp Fall morning; or perhaps you saw His glory during the birth of your first infant as your child took his first breath of life. God’s glory is all around us but we must learn to shut out society’s distractions and allow ourselves quiet time when the patience we practice is felt as a reward rather than a burden.
We can no longer afford to be deaf to His word. We must rid our minds of the endless chatter and focus our blurry vision so we can clearly see God’s promises to us.
Advent promises all of us that a Savior is coming and He will prepare the way to everlasting glory. The coming of that day is approaching quickly. Are we ready to be judged on that day? We have a loving Savior on whom we can depend and a Savior who will fill us with a joy and peace beyond our earthly comprehension.
Look beyond the materialism to the gift of pure peace we will be given at His coming. If we practice the patience James implores until the coming of our Savior, we will be given eternal peace, love, and a share in God’s glory.
Have a meaningful holiday with family and friends and invite the Good Lord to join you as you await His second coming.
With love,
Dianne M. NietheSJA Parishioner
