Second Sunday of Advent
A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make
straight in the desert a highway for our God."
Isaiah 40:3
I have almost finished the dishes when I realize there is
one more pan to be washed. I fill it with soapy water, knowing it will come
clean easily and then I can set it to dry and be done with this task.
I enjoy doing the dishes. It is a kind of work that I find
satisfying, easing, even prayerful. My husband cooks most of the meals. He does
all the preparation. The planning. The shopping. The cooking. He delights in
this. Cleaning up afterwards is my contribution to our shared household
undertaking of family dinner.
As I rinse the pan clean, and look out into the dark winter
night, I realize this is also a kind of preparation. I have made way for what
will come next. The dishes, pans, utensils clean and ready to be employed again
tomorrow. Tools for the creativity that will once more bring a meal to the
table, a celebration of flavors, a labor of love.
As I linger in this moment, I wonder in what unexpected ways
I have been about preparing a place in my heart for the Holy Mystery who is
coming. Or, better yet, in what ways a
path is being prepared within me.
