patience

When God Says Wait

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by Guest Blogger Olivia Folmar Ard

When I was a child, the saying “slow as Christmas” actually meant something to me. For someone with a single digit age, the twelve months passing from Christmas to Christmas might as well be twelve years. I remember how slowly each day passed as I mentally counted down to the blessed holiday from New Year’s Day, spring break, summer vacation, and Thanksgiving.

Even during the month of December, I found it difficult not to squirm. Moving our little stuffed mouse from one day to the next on the cloth Advent calendar hanging on the door was physically agonizing. I couldn’t wait for Christmas and all the joy that day symbolizes, which in that season of my life meant lots of baked goodies, family get-togethers, and more gifts than I knew what to do with.

As I age, “slow as Christmas” means less and less to me. My life is so busy and filled with activity that by the time I pause to check the date, I am astounded by how much time has passed me by. I’m more likely to say, “Christmas again, already?” Continue reading →

The SLOW Work of Advent

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SLOW work of Advent? What’s that? It seems it was just yesterday I rooted through the closet for the Advent wreath that wasn’t there and filled the Advent calendar with chocolate kisses that were devoured posthaste by a toddler. Now all four Advent candles are lit, and I worry whether that last nub of purple, the first candle lit, will make it until Christmas.

Due to the “obligations” of Christmas, Advent often seems anything but slow, perhaps the quickest wait we ever endure. That’s why this sign outside a church I pass caught my eye:

Slow work of God

Continue reading →

Patient Much? The Mindset of Endurance

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In my Catholic grade school, we played what was known simply as “The Religion Game.” Short explanation: it involved a person guessing a religious terms using clues provided by teammates. One of the vocabulary terms committed to memory was ejaculation.

Ejaculation: a short prayer meant to be memorized and repeated throughout the day

In those pre-pubescent days, before its utterance would elicit a round of giggles and snickers, this five-syllable word had the potential to propel a team into the winner’s circle. In the ensuing years, the use of these little prayers fell by the wayside. Continue reading →