Thursday December 9, 2021
FINDING THE LORD
SCRIPTURE: The Lord said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
1 Kings 19:11-13a
As I am writing this in early October, I am one week into nine weeks of radiation treatment 5 days per week. The weekday treatments take a couple of hours out of each day. My routine prior to October had been to stay busy with volunteer positions and responsibilities; my new normal has the potential to eliminate my time to unwind and relax in the evenings and weekends.
While Advent is the season before Christmas, it is not a time for us to wait for Jesus to be born. That happened over two thousand years ago. I think Advent is a time for us to set aside time for spiritual reflection, for spiritual growth and to recommit ourselves.
The Elijah stories are some of my favorites. And this one in which Elijah meets the Lord – not in the busyness and chaos of the world, but in the quiet – seems to me to speak to the reason for celebrating Advent. I need to take the time for quiet. Even more, I need to set a priority on doing so. And adapting a comment made by another participant in a recent Zoom meeting that I was on, I not only need to take the time, but I also need to invest the time in meeting with the Lord God i quietness rather than fruitlessly trying to do so amidst the chaos.
PRAYER: Our God, our Father, our Mother – During this Advent season, bless me with the investment of time to meet with You and to grow in my faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen
John Hodges
