Advent Reading: Week Three

I was hoping to at least do one post per week on Advent, but I missed last week. Oh well.

This week's theme was on anticipating joy. Anticipating the approach of Christmas Day, renewal, and salvation. Waiting patiently but hopefully. I have to admit this is a good but difficult practice for me. Most of the time I don't like to wait and when I have to, I tend to despair or get angry, not more hopeful. But then, I thought about childhood and waiting for a special gift. That kind of waiting I really never minded. I enjoyed all the anticipation.

So I am trying to apply more of my anticipatory Christmas joy to the other areas of my life that I need to wait with hope and joy in my heart.

I think the biggest area for me to wait with hopefully anticipation right now is in Fund Raising. Working with InterVarsity, a non-profit Christian ministry, affords me lots of opportunities I might not otherwise have in other jobs. One of these opportunities is in personally gathering support (financially, emotionally, spiritually) for the work I do, for the students I serve, and for the campus I am sent to.

I believe in fund raising; I even think God came up with this idea and that its biblical. More than that, I believe in the work that God is doing through me and through InterVarsity. If you want to know more about my philosophy and ethic on fund raising just ask, I am definitely open to discussing it. But that is not the focus of this particular discussion.

This week, with my students gone back home for the holidays, I have been focusing on my funding. Trying to use my time wisely and prepare for the spring. I have been praying often. And I realize this is just a hard area for me to believe, truly believe, that God will provide. I know (in my head, sometimes) that he will. I have experienced him provide before. I even had an unexpectedly large donation just this week! Thank you Jesus!

But when I really examine my heart I know that I have room to grow in living in this season with anticipatory joy, looking forward to January, expectant to see all the ways the Lord has provided for our family and this ministry. So I have been praying each day this week "Lord because you have called me and you are faithful, I believe you will do this."

I am very thankful that Jehovah has been faithful, is faithful, and forever shall be faithful. So for now, I try to wait on him, rest in his unfailing character (rather than my own worries) and anticipate with great joy celebrating his faithfulness.