See the Good.

I was in the middle of holiday shopping traffic chaos last week when I saw a stalled car clogging up a busy Greenville intersection. The cars were lining up behind it, and you could almost sense the aura of frustration. But right in the middle of it, there was a lone policeman with two red gas cans, filling up the car with gas, and I smiled.

It is easy amidst the hustle and bustle of this season to pass over the good.

The kind deed . . . the friends who show up for you unexpectedly . . . the good book . . . the red cardinal on the back porch . . . the kids decorating the Christmas tree . . . the long run in the crisp winter air . . . the fiery pink sunset.

If you celebrate Advent, you know it is a season of waiting. Waiting for the fulfillment of all the things that are hard to be made right.

Lately, I have thought that this is a lot like life. We are always waiting: waiting for the diagnosis, the job offer, the promotion, the call back.

And waiting is hard — especially in today’s “immediate response” culture. Patience is not my virtue of choice; I am generally much better at getting things done.

But waiting is generally where the formation of character and heart happens, especially if we let it. It is hard and necessary work.

If you are in a season of waiting this Advent, I hope you can see the good around you. It is usually closer than we think.

Do the next right thing.