On the mountain of worries, God is present. On the mountain of hunger for life and love, God is present. On the mountain where people sit with their tears, disappointments, grief, and pain, God is present. So, believe this to be true: God will provide true nourishment when we need it most. God will reveal all we need to know to defeat our fears, anxieties, and sorrows. God will remove all that stands between us and the life we are meant to live. God will set us upon a new mountain where we may feel free to love and rest. On that new mountain of hope, we will say, let us rejoice because our God, for whom we looked many times, has come to save us. We do not need to want the things that are no longer life-giving. We want to rest. We want to walk without fear and have courage in the dark valleys of life. We want to trust God to provide all we need, even when it seems there isn't enough or there is no hope. God's heart is always moved in our direction. That is what I hold on to for comfort and hope.

This first week of Advent is a time of heightened awareness, anticipation, and unfolding. It is like staring at a rosebud each day until it eventually begins to open. It is also the time of year when students are beginning to drag their feet, and their book bags are becoming much heavier than at the beginning of the school term. The leaves have changed, and the wind has a slight chill, reminding us of what will come. Our lives are changing in ways we may or may not be aware of---friendships evolving, people waiting on news---good or bad, transitions, friends dying and rising into a new life. We are uncertain about things, so we find ourselves cat-napping---spiritually asleep, but with our eyes wide open so that no one knows our secret---that we are afraid and that our faith is no longer like that of a child. Just when we begin to feel exhausted from the year, we are called to attention, and God says through the scriptures, "I am near."

During this Advent season---this time of waiting and longing for the birth of something extraordinary in our lives, whatever that may be, let us prepare our hearts and renew our spirits. It is in our longing and waiting we encounter God; It is in our emptiness we should remember God’s whispers of love and courage. This Advent, let go, and let God surprise you.

Loving God, we are grateful you are near. Refresh and nourish our souls, heal our wounds, and meet us at our mountain. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.