December 1, 2023
I was at Target on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Yes, that is a direct result of poor planning on my part, and yes, I deserved what I got. What I got was two available cashiers for the entire, very busy, store, and a line for self-checkout that, for those who know your West St. Paul Target, wrapped all the way past produce to the bread aisle. If you know your West St. Paul Target, then you know I was in a line at least 30 people deep. As I stood in line, I did what literally every other person in front of me was doing: I reached for my phone. Texts, emails, social media - how else would I keep myself entertained for the entire 15 minutes I was in line?!
The truth is, I have gotten progressively worse at waiting - for anything - over the last few years. The pace of everyday life is such that long lines feel especially long, and doing - gasp! - nothing while I wait feels especially hard. The twist is, of course, that being still is not "doing nothing". Stillness, waiting, holding space, breathing in the calm, is not only "something", but is a very valuable something. Our bodies, minds, and spirits need time to just be. It's only in this kind of time that we can wonder and imagine and daydream. And wondering, imagining, and daydreaming are essential. Even Biblical!
Advent is this kind of time. Inky darkness comes early in our part of the world, the colder weather (most years!) keeps us wrapped and cozy, and we are invited to live into the stillness that it all brings. We are invited to put our phones down, to turn the world off for a bit, and to marinate in the quiet and calm. To let our hearts beat with the blinking of the stars.
As it happened, when I reached for my phone in the long Target line, I realized I'd left it in the car. I was given no choice but to wait quietly, and let myself experience some moments of "doing nothing". Breathing. Thinking. Letting my mind wander. Who says one cannot experience a moment of sacredness in line at Target?!
My prayer for you this week is for some of the quiet and calm that allows you to see the stars and hear whispers of Spirit - wherever you can find it. My prayer for you this Advent is for time to allow your dreams to run wild and your hearts to find peace. My prayer for you is for some of the quiet stillness that allows for God to be more deeply known.