We started our Advent project yesterday. We are attempting The Giving Manger this year. It came with a really neat book and now we just have to fill the manger to make the bed for baby Jesus soft and comfortable.

Cole and Cade are on board with this project so far. They both have giving hearts so I think they will have an easy time with any service ideas for outside the home. Helping out at home though is usually a struggle.

So far though, they have been willing to unload the dishwasher and fold a load of laundry. I really hope there enthusiasm continues through the month! But they are boys so if it starts to fizzle, I won’t be surprised.

This year I have been thinking about waiting a lot more. We are in a season of waiting right now. With DMD it seems like there is always waiting. And not usually a good kind of waiting.

I don’t always handle the waiting very well, but I have done a couple of bible studies that have spoke to me about my waits. Here are the 2 things that have spoke to me the most about the waiting.

1. Sometimes during the wait, God is asking for complete trust in Him.

I have tried to be a lot more intentional with my prayer life. I try to remember not to bargain with God. I also try to remember not to ask God for my version of what is best.

Try is a key word here!

Sometimes, however, my prayer involves asking for a very specific answer. And then when I don’t get that specific answer, I feel like I misunderstood God. But in reality, God always has my best interest at heart and when I ask for a specific answer, my focus shifts from the One answering my prayer to the answer.

And that allows just a little gap in my trust of Him.

2. Sometimes the wait is there to allow me to recognize God’s sabbath margin.

I have a really hard time not being involved in all things that I find to be good. Sometimes, this causes my schedule to become too packed. And more often than not, I tend to forget to set some things aside in order to complete something else.

I mean, I’m a list girl. I LOVE to-do lists. There is something so satisfying to me to see all those check marks besides finished tasks.

So throw some sabbath margin in there, and those check marks don’t come as regularly as I would like them to. But the wait can allow me time to recognize that stopping point.

And because I now know that it is sabbath margin, I can ease my anxiety over uncompleted tasks.

So take some extra time to enjoy this season of waiting. Waiting for the coming of Jesus. Waiting while noticing all the blessings we have. Waiting while listening to God. Waiting while serving others, just as Christ served others.

Blessings. Lynnette