Advent is a time of longing.  The words of the Advent song “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” are the cry of those who long for God to come.  The word “Emmanuel” means “God with us”.  We are lonely for God.  Here is a quote from Sun Gazing…

That’s it!  Could it be that longing is a gift?  Perhaps without the longing we would not realize that we need God, that we belong to God, that our hearts are empty without God. In Romans chapter 8, Paul talks about the eager longing of all creation for the revealing of the children of God.  The Spirit of God joins our spirits to pray for us, with us, in groanings too deep for words.  We long for God to be with us because we belong to God.  Here are some faces of longing…

This is a statue I saw in Croatia.

The following are three quilts I saw at the International Quilt show in Houston, Texas on Nov. 3, 2016.  They are truly amazing!  (Tap on the photos to enlarge on your screen).

Esperanza is a word which means “hope” in Spanish.

And now, here are a few words from the poem “Alone” by Maya Angelou…

Advent is a time of longing, and God is coming.  It’s a promise!

nk

Pondering…

In which of the photos do you see yourself?

Where do you experience a deep longing? …for yourself? …for others? …for the world?