Most of us don't like to wait. Whether it's at the doctor's office, the line in our favorite coffee shop, or the hours spent in an airport. We hate to wait!

But what about those who had to wait for the birth of Jesus Christ? From the very beginning when man sinned, God made the promise that a Messiah would be born from the offspring of a woman, and so the faithful waited with an expectant hope for his coming. We also see a similar hope in the New Testament for those who are expecting (like us) that Jesus will one day return.

Advent is a time of waiting. We wait, we watch, we listen. We prepare our hearts with repentance and submission, with a joyful confidence that, in the same way that Jesus was born in a manger over 2,000 years ago, that he will surely come again.

The season leading up to Christmas should always be full of lights and warmth and wonder. But first and foremost, it should be the season of hope.