Wait A Minute …..

Wait a minute… I have to confess. I don’t like to wait. Waiting means I have to … well …wait. Who has time to wait in this world?

We live in an instant world. Instant messages connect us instantly. We can take, share and post photos within seconds. We can order food/groceries for delivery and get live updates on the location of the delivery person … because God forbid that we should have to … well …..wait.

Advent is the season that calls us to do just that ….during one of the busiest times of the year. Advent is revolutionary and even counter-cultural in that it resists society’s need for instant replies, response, delivery and gratification.

Advent invites us to ….well …. wait.

Advent is an act of resistance.

Advent is an act of resistance.

This year has prepared me for Advent in terms of waiting in ways that I would have never imagined. The past few years has made us experience and encounter waiting in a whole new way.

I don’t know about you, but this whole year, I feel like I’ve been waiting. Waiting for shelter at home orders, waiting to catch our collective breath, waiting for updates, waiting through multiple pandemics \ waiting for news conferences, waiting on test results,waiting on weather updates, waiting on calls, waiting on verdicts, waiting on justice, waiting on follow up to our actions demanding justice, waiting on election results, waiting for post elections, waiting to see loved ones, waiting for Zoom Meetings to begin and end because Zoom fatigue is real,waiting on packages to arrive, waiting on the world to open up and then close and then reopen, waiting to use my passport, Life can be a wait fest..

But in the midst of these involuntary waits, I’ve been put in a position where I have been forced to recognize some weights. Waiting puts you in a position where you come face to face with reality. Waiting has made me more aware of things that have been weighing me down. Life can be a wait fest and a weight fest. I’ve had to slowly to learn to release the weight of perfectionism and being in control. Life is teaching me that holding on to the weight of being overextended isn’t working … it’s time to release it.

The past few years has brought weight on in more ways than one ….. so I’ve been returning back to regular work outs. During my class, as we are in the midst of drills, my instructor occasionally reminds us that it’s okay for us to put down a weight and make modifications. “If it’s holding you back, put down one or both of the weights.” That’s what Advent is teaching me this season. One of the definitions of waiting is to be ready and available. This season….. this year has been teaching me if it’s holding me back,and keeping me from being ready and available, I need to put the weight down.

Even in the midst of a year, where I literally still continue to experience and feel every single possible emotion on the spectrum, letting go of some weights allowed me to experience and be blessed by some completely unexpected pleasant surprises.

I still don’t like waiting because it means I have to …… well … wait.

But then I was reminded about Weight Watchers and how it helped me redefine my relationship with food. This recent season has made me, as a Wait Watcher redefine my relationship with waiting.

“ … but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

God,

This Advent journey require moments of waiting, those unexpected and unwanted pauses that may seem to stop the journey. Please continue to remind us that the waits also give us the opportunities to discern and recognize some weights. Give us the courage to release any weights that hold us back. Help us remember to learn the lesson in this season.

Ashe and Amen

Currently in a complicated relationship with waiting …. but we’re still together,

Sheila P. Spencer

Dec 30, 2024

Igniting The Fire Within: Affirmations and Purpose

“ … may we, too, speak affirmations that align us with our purpose and ignite the fire within us to make meaningful contributions to the world.”

Dec 1, 2024

The Complicated, Beautiful Relationship with Hope

My relationship with hope is still in tact. Despite the occasional “it’s complicated,” we remain connected. It’s the audacity of hope that keeps us going.

Nov 10, 2024

Brewing and Stewing ....... Journey to Gratitude

“Gratitude is not always about waiting for resolution. Sometimes, gratitude is found in the people and the moments that hold space for you, in the midst and allow you to just be …. similar to the process of brewing tea, just waiting”

Oct 26, 2024

Breaking The Myth of The Strong Friend ....

“Why does someone always have to be the strong friend? The label can feel heavy if it’s the only crown we’re allowed to wear. What if the role of the strong friend shifted within the group and became something we all shared?”

Advent : Wait, Expect ... Resist

Wait A Minute …..

Wait a minute… I have to confess. I don’t like to wait. Waiting means I have to … well …wait. Who has time to wait in this world?

We live in an instant world. Instant messages connect us instantly. We can take, share and post photos within seconds. We can order food/groceries for delivery and get live updates on the location of the delivery person … because God forbid that we should have to … well …..wait.

Advent is the season that calls us to do just that ….during one of the busiest times of the year. Advent is revolutionary and even counter-cultural in that it resists society’s need for instant replies, response, delivery and gratification.

Advent invites us to ….well …. wait.

Advent is an act of resistance.

Advent is an act of resistance.

This year has prepared me for Advent in terms of waiting in ways that I would have never imagined. The past few years has made us experience and encounter waiting in a whole new way.

Even in the midst of a year, where I literally still continue to experience and feel every single possible emotion on the spectrum, letting go of some weights allowed me to experience and be blessed by some completely unexpected pleasant surprises.

I still don’t like waiting because it means I have to …… well … wait.

But then I was reminded about Weight Watchers and how it helped me redefine my relationship with food. This recent season has made me, as a Wait Watcher redefine my relationship with waiting.

“ … but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

God,

Ashe and Amen

Currently in a complicated relationship with waiting …. but we’re still together,

Sheila P. Spencer

Each day is its own journey ….

“ … may we, too, speak affirmations that align us with our purpose and ignite the fire within us to make meaningful contributions to the world.”

My relationship with hope is still in tact. Despite the occasional “it’s complicated,” we remain connected. It’s the audacity of hope that keeps us going.

“Gratitude is not always about waiting for resolution. Sometimes, gratitude is found in the people and the moments that hold space for you, in the midst and allow you to just be …. similar to the process of brewing tea, just waiting”

“Why does someone always have to be the strong friend? The label can feel heavy if it’s the only crown we’re allowed to wear. What if the role of the strong friend shifted within the group and became something we all shared?”

Wait A Minute …..

Wait a minute… I have to confess. I don’t like to wait. Waiting means I have to … well …wait. Who has time to wait in this world?

We live in an instant world. Instant messages connect us instantly. We can take, share and post photos within seconds. We can order food/groceries for delivery and get live updates on the location of the delivery person … because God forbid that we should have to … well …..wait.

Advent is the season that calls us to do just that ….during one of the busiest times of the year. Advent is revolutionary and even counter-cultural in that it resists society’s need for instant replies, response, delivery and gratification.

Advent invites us to ….well …. wait.

Advent is an act of resistance.

Advent is an act of resistance.

This year has prepared me for Advent in terms of waiting in ways that I would have never imagined. The past few years has made us experience and encounter waiting in a whole new way.

Even in the midst of a year, where I literally still continue to experience and feel every single possible emotion on the spectrum, letting go of some weights allowed me to experience and be blessed by some completely unexpected pleasant surprises.

I still don’t like waiting because it means I have to …… well … wait.

But then I was reminded about Weight Watchers and how it helped me redefine my relationship with food. This recent season has made me, as a Wait Watcher redefine my relationship with waiting.

“ … but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

God,

Ashe and Amen

Currently in a complicated relationship with waiting …. but we’re still together,

Sheila P. Spencer

Each day is its own journey ….

“ … may we, too, speak affirmations that align us with our purpose and ignite the fire within us to make meaningful contributions to the world.”

My relationship with hope is still in tact. Despite the occasional “it’s complicated,” we remain connected. It’s the audacity of hope that keeps us going.

“Gratitude is not always about waiting for resolution. Sometimes, gratitude is found in the people and the moments that hold space for you, in the midst and allow you to just be …. similar to the process of brewing tea, just waiting”

“Why does someone always have to be the strong friend? The label can feel heavy if it’s the only crown we’re allowed to wear. What if the role of the strong friend shifted within the group and became something we all shared?”

Sheila Spencer