Sunday, December 04, 2011

Advent thoughts

Advent is - for many - a time of waiting, of expectation, of hoping and (dare I say) a time of yearning. For some people, the waiting, expectation, hoping and yearning may center around the "waiting in lines" on Black Friday ... and the X number of shopping days after that before Christmas. For others, it may be the waiting for visits from family, friends or relations.
Our "expectations" may be about what we expect from others - the gifts we get and give (did I get the right size? will he/she like my present? did I spend too much? did I not spend enough??). We may have hopes such as "gee, I hope it's not like last year when Uncle Johnny drank too much eggnog, the cat got sick and the tree caught fire", and if we are "of an age" we may be yearning for the Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle ("you'll shoot your eye out, kid").

Confession time. For me, this year, it has been a lot about waiting for "the" job. Granted, this has been a time of "active" waiting, yes - hunting, searching, scouring, networking, interviewing, - but primarily waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting ....
I thought that I would have work within six months of returning to the States from Germany. Instead, from the date of our arrival (31 August, 2010) to the date that I start my new job (12 December, 2011) it will be 469 days. That's a lot of waiting time.

When I look back on the last 460+ days (from then to today), I am not sure if I have been looking at it from the Advent perspective. Was my waiting hopeful? Certainly. Was it expectant? Yes. Did I yearn for work? Dern tootin'. But what else does Advent mean?

Advent is from the Latin, adventus, meaning "arrival". It is about arriving. It is not about what we expect, not about what we hope for or yearn for; Advent is about getting to where we are supposed to be. The adventus for me is a job in a place where I had never been prior to my interview, doing something that I also did not anticipate, and working for a school that I did not even know existed until I found the listing online.

So while I prepare for my own adventus, I will keep in mind that it is no coincidence that my own waiting-time is almost over. I truly have nothing to be anxious about and all will be revealed when the time is right.

Happy Advent to all. May the arrival come with joy, thanksgiving, and peace.