It’s an over-sized mug of Reindeer Blend coffee, Fresh Balsam candle burning, sitting by the light of the Christmas tree, thankful for so many blessings kind of morning.  After a night at the Art Museum for the  2013 Medical School Christmas Gala, the Hubs set back out into the sub-zero temps to spend a night learning in the Emergency Department at the hospital.  In the year we’ve been married, there has only been one night when we were not asleep in the same bed.  I awoke in the middle of the night and gazed at the clock on the dresser through sleepy eyes:  1:13 a.m.  Dozing off again, I gained a few more hours of shut-eye before I found myself checking back in with the numbers, glowing green:  4:52 a.m.  At 6:47, there was a turn of the lock at the front door and the eagerly anticipated report of the patients that presented throughout the night.  Of course, each patient is anonymous to me, but I learn of the course of action taken by the medical team to treat each body.  The iPad Mini that was delivered to our doorstep yesterday must have proven to be a helpful tool for the Hubs.  When I asked how it worked out, he was a few words into his response before falling asleep mid-sentence.  I smiled and moved into the kitchen to start a fresh pot of coffee.  The wait is over and he is here.

A dear friend of mine is at full-term in her pregnancy and will likely be holding a new baby boy before the weekend is through.  There comes a point in time when the anticipation and discomfort of pregnancy culminate, and nine months of preparation and growth seem to be a blink of an eye when compared to the final days before birth.  Within hours, the miracle of a new life is held in the arms of parents, who are captivated by their tiny treasure.  The wait is over and he is here.

Above our kitchen sink hangs a small chalkboard that was carried by our beautiful nieces that announced, “Uncle Mike, Here comes your Bride,” before I took my dad’s arm and he walked me down the aisle.  It was a moment brimming with emotion.  The wait was over, we made our covenant, and the time for celebration had come.

The chalkboard continues to announce the coming of moments in life that we look forward to.  From vacations and birthdays, to school milestones and holidays, we enjoy watching each day pass before the big day arrives.

It is, in this time of year, that our hearts are turned to the coming of the Messiah – a Savior, who came as a baby to be our mighty Redeemer – our Immanuel, God with us.  Today marks the seventh day of Advent, over 2000 years after Mary, Joseph, and all of Creation anticipated the arrival of Heaven on Earth.  May our hearts be stilled, even in the chaos of this season, to consider the joy of the breathtaking gift of Grace.

The wait is over and He is here.