ington amongst the Wheat fields of the Palouse. Farming was the main livelihood in our area. Our school year even revolved around the needs of our farming community.
In our little country store in Valleyford, you could always hear people talking about the price of wheat, the weather, the cost of fertilizer and who had purchased new farm machinery or implements.
In the spring, the farmers waited until the snow was gone from Mica Peak to plant the new spring crop. In the meantime, the winter wheat was already poking up through the last remaining snow patches. They were masters of being patient. Most would have sold their crop from the previous year over the winter, waiting til the last possible minute to get the best price. And once the new season began, it was a whirlwind of activity. Plowing and tilling, seeding, and machinery maintenance. Exhausting work. Then the long growing period wait. Would it be too wet? Too dry? Too hot? Too cold? Who would be hired to help with the harvest? How would they pay their bills? When would they get paid for their crop? The list went on and on.
Then, the time would come. The wheat would be just right. But, would the humidity be too high to harvest? What about the forecasted thunder storm? Would there be hail? Fire danger?
Masters of being patient.
This past week, I had surgery on my eye. Terry came down from Kamloops to care for me and to help through the process.
From the moment I stepped into the Surgical Center, I gave up my independence and had to be patient not only with the process of the surgery itself, but with the process of healing.
Is this what James was talking about? Being patient and surrendering to God’s time and plan? I think it is.
So many of us, want what we want and want it now. We are impatient. We are a society of easy, quick fixes; Instant gratification. We want all the answers right now. Just ask Google or Siri or Alexa.
But I believe that what God is telling us in our reading today is that instead of impatiently waiting or demanding gratification of our needs, we need to slow it down and as they say in AA and NA, Let Go and Let God.
This is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, known as Rose Sunday or Refreshment Sunday. The Pink candle, the Joy Candle, sometimes known as the Shepard’s Candle, reminds us of the great joy that came with the announcement of Jesus’ birth. The angels proclaimed good news of great joy for all people. Jesus is the source of true and lasting joy.
Advent brings a season of waiting patiently as we await his birth on Christmas Day.
It is a time for us to set aside our impatience and cling onto the promise of a Savior being born to save us all.
As our Epistle reminds us, we need to be patient with each other, not to be grumpy or judgemental towards one another, but instead to have patience and calmness and trust in the Process God has for us.
And in that patience, when we calm our hearts and our minds, we can allow God to flow into us, giving us the discerning hearts to know when to be proactive and diligent in our daily walk with Christ.
Perhaps, we should practice thinking of our lives as one long Advent Season, patiently waiting until we meet God face to face. Preparing ourselves and our souls in quiet meditation and reflection, putting into action our baptismal vows to spread the Good News and to Live Good News of Jesus Christ.
Like I said earlier, I am not a patient person. Not at all. I am like that child who cannot sleep the night before Christmas in anticipation of Christmas Morning. For me, during Advent, my prayer is to ask God to help me to slow down, meditate more, study the scriptures more, pray more and above all be patient not only with my needs but with those around me. I need a lot of help from God on this front.
“Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. We also must be Patient.”
We are not only God’s Farmers, we are also God’s Crop. Therefore God, is the Farmer of our Souls and we are crop of his love. We must be patient in that love, so that we too ripen to be the fruit, and to plant more crops in his name so that they too ripen to serve our Lord.
Many Advent Blessings of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love be with you today and always. Amen
See you tomorrow...