“On that day the deaf shall hear…and the eyes of the blind shall see…”

The weekend before Thanksgiving I had a wonderful pre-Thanksgiving/Advent experience of being on retreat at a spirituality center in the woods with my women’s prayer group. It was an excellent opportunity to step out of our busy lives into the solitude of nature to remember what thankfulness really is. Nature allows us to see, touch, and listen to creation and remember the gifts of the people in our lives. It was a time of blessings - on us, with us, and by us on all that is us. And it was a time to realize that even in the midst of the struggles, worries, sadness, grief and difficulties that are also a part of our lives, we could acknowledge and feel the living and loving God presence in and among us.

Today’s scriptures offer a sort of mini-retreat…a stepping back to open ourselves to the meaning of this time of year.

Isaiah presents us with an opportunity to move out of our hectic lives into this Advent time to remember what we may have forgotten: God promises that, “…the deaf shall hear…the eyes of the blind shall see; The lowly will find joy in God and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel…; They shall reverence the Holy One and be in awe of the God of Israel.”

In Matthew, Jesus actually gives sight to two blind men who seek him out of the crowd to be healed. Jesus responds to their openness and belief, touches their eyes and says, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”

The psalmist reflects, “One thing I ask, this I seek: To dwell in the house of God all my days.”

How clearly it seems to be that God is waiting for us…simply to turn to God in the quiet of our heart…to approach God with our needs, wants, thankfulness…to simply ‘be’ with and in God!

However, in our day to day busy-ness of the holiday season, it becomes too easy to become deaf and blind to God’s presence in our midst. My list of ‘to do’s tends to become extra long as I plan for the many gatherings of friends and relatives, while trying to juggle work and home commitments. It is so easy to lose sight of whom I am called to be in the midst of preparing to celebrate and I grow deaf to the real meaning of this holy season.

These readings remind me to tap back into my retreat weekend and remember what I really am seeking. And perhaps it is more about a combination of what I am seeking/waiting for…and that God is seeking/waiting for me to slow down enough to recognize and then real-ize the gift of the loving presence of God’s spirit in my life.

My prayer for me and for you is that we each will find the quiet space in our lives to allow the waiting/seeking of God to find a home in our hearts and in our lives.