I know that Advent is a time of waiting and expectation. But what I have never felt before is such an intense longing for Jesus Christ to come into the world. I am not in a hurry for Christmas to come. There is still too much to do and my slow-Adventy pace hasn’t done much for my Christmas shopping, card list, or even house cleaning. But this pace has done wonders for my spiritual life.

I wonder all the time right now.

I wonder if the women at my church knew they were being ministered to Sunday when they held a little baby. This little baby, an infant, let woman after woman hold her – no fussing, no crying – just sweet contentment in being held and hugged. It is as if this little babe knew the women needed to feel hope, innocence and pure love after the devastating events in Connecticut on Friday.

I wonder if the congregation knew how much we needed to hear the happy noises of the toddlers during the Eucharistic prayer. As I listened to the squeals and the toddler-speak I knew this was a child’s Amen to a world that desperately needs to hear the voice of God come down with joy and hope.

I wonder if God simply knew in sending his Son to us as a child that we would be changed in inexplicable ways. This Advent I will say yes God knows. I have to say yes God knows.

God knows that a child in the arms of a mother fills the world with dreams for what can be once again. God knows an infant smiling up at you will soften your world-hardened heart and ease your worried mind. God knows syncing your heartbeat with the heartbeat of a child in your arms sets your life at a different pace – a Godly pace.

Advent has helped me to wonder and set my life to a Godly pace – a pace that makes the time to notice the ministry of children. Children who look up at the adults around them with waiting and expectation for the joy that is to come. Children who have no idea they are ministers to us – healing us, giving us hope, and blessing us with joyful sounds that renew our ability to sing praises to God.

Now with childlike expectation and joy, I can’t help but wonder what Christmas will hold.