It's a common joke among Christians--never pray for patience because God will answer your prayer! Well, I haven't specifically prayed for a lesson in patience, but I am certainly getting one. I am a person who likes to hit the ground running--get things going, get events planned, get things done, keep busy. And this new work, this new type of ministry, has not been conducive to that. AT ALL. These days I find myself spending days at home with the kids, doing less "ministry projects" and more cooking, cleaning, and thinking. I wrote a couple of weeks ago that I am enjoying the opportunity to slow down, to step back from the busyness of the church and ministry that threatens to consume many of us. And I am. But it's a struggle, because it doesn't come naturally to me.

In terms of the ministry here in Ithaca, Daniel and I are still making contacts, getting involved in various ways in the community, and trying to make real relationships. But these things don't happen overnight. In some ways it's frustrating to me, deep down, although at the same time I want to self-edit and remind myself that I shouldn't feel frustrated. And that makes me even more frustrated! Well-meaning friends are asking: "Do you have a meeting in your home yet? Are you getting to know lots of people? What IS your plan, anyway?" And I have to explain that these things take time, while inwardly I am asking the same questions of myself. This mission certainly is an adventure, after all. When I compared it to jumping off a cliff, I didn't know how accurate that description would turn out to be! And constantly, always, I remind myself that this is God's mission, God's adventure, and we were lucky enough to be invited along for the ride.

And there is no season more fitting, more perfect, to experience this than Advent. Rob Bell says that Advent (really, all of the church calendar) is about the rhythm of life, the breathing in and out, the richness and depth of the human experience. That tension, that frustration, that longing, is exactly what we need to be focusing on as we eagerly await Christ's birth, and beyond that, His return!

Please pray with us and for us:

Grace and peace to you as you long and wait, and watch for God's hand at work!