a blessing for joy (for the third Sunday of Advent)

Blessed are we who wait with bated breath,
who wait for something new to be born
—for new hope or new joy or new life.
Blessed are we whose patience grows thinner
by the day.

We who are tired of the world as it is
—in all of its heartache and loss
and hopelessness.
We who want more.
More hope. More joy. More life.

Blessed are we who sit here,
waiting at the still point between desire
and expectation.
We who are making room for more of you,
oh God, this Christmas.

Surprise us with joy in the midst of the mundane,
abundance in the midst of so much scarcity,
presence in the midst of Christmas chaos.

We have quieted our souls to listen,
to wait for you, oh God,
for your Word-Made-Flesh is life to us.

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