In this week’s Advent episode of Not Just Waiting, we’re exploring JOY—but not the loud, glittery, Instagram-perfect kind. We’re talking about the quiet, surprising, deeply biblical joy that meets you right where you are, even in the middle of long nights and long prayers.

Through the story of the shepherds in Luke 2, this episode will help you see:

• Why joy often starts in the dark

• How God interrupts ordinary nights with extraordinary news

•  Why joy is something God causes, not something you manufacture

•  What it means that joy is a Person, not a feeling

• How smallness, stillness, and unnoticed moments become holy ground

• The rhythms that grow joy in your waiting season

If you’ve ever felt overlooked, behind, or stuck in the in-between—this episode is for you.

Scriptures Mentioned: 

Luke 2:8–17; Galatians 5:22; Psalm 30:5; Ephesians 3:20; Psalm 16:11; 2 Corinthians 6:10; John 16:33; John 15:11; Isaiah 55; Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 46:10; Psalm 95; Psalm 77:1

Links & Next Steps

Get the Letters from the Waiting Advent Series (free!) Join the email list or have the Advent letters mailed to your home. → Letters from the In-Between

Connect on Instagram: @reanna.ivey.hoffJoin the Not Just Waiting Substack community for weekly reflections and encouragement.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend walking through a quiet or in-between season.

Until next time — wait well. You’re not just waiting. You’re becoming.