“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” –Terry Pratchett
What mystery is always waiting for you, no matter how fast you travel?
Who hasn’t admired the beauty of the first green leaves of spring, the shimmering of summer leaves in the light, the gorgeous reds and golds of leaves in the fall? But what of leaves in winter, no longer bright, but displaying the delicate pattern of their veins, showing a subtler beauty to those who will take the time to look down?
Where will you find subtle or hidden beauty today?
The Disney world of princes and princesses makes us think of castles as romantic places of luxury and wealth, the very definition of a happy ending. But castles were largely built as strongholds, as a place that you could wall yourself in when under attack. Sometimes the fairy tale life you envy in someone else is merely the fancy walls that they have built to protect the vulnerabilities they don’t dare show.
Who do you allow to see the truth of your inner life?
A baby harp seal in its fluffy white coat blends in with the snow, making it almost invisible to predators. But to its mother, each little seal is instantly identifiable, and she is drawn to the scent of the one baby, amidst all the others, that belongs to her. So long as its mother is alive, no young harp seal is really alone.
Who will you find, so long as they need you? Who will come find you if you are in need?
Advent begins today—a time of waiting with joyful anticipation. Which is not how we usually think of waiting. More often we regard waiting as tedious or annoying or an interruption to our carefully planned life. But it doesn’t work to hurry the growth of a plant or the birth of a child—some things only come when the time is right, and one might as well celebrate the time that leads to fulfillment.
What do you wait for with joy in your heart?
