Advent is all about waiting.  Without the waiting and longing that preceded the coming of Christ, it's hard to understand the joy of His arrival.  For many of us, waiting is a very difficult thing, and often thought of as pointless or wasted time.  Advent teaches us that it's in our waiting that God does some of his most transformative work, it's in our darkness that his light can shine the brightest.  How might God surprise you in some of the broken and hurting areas of your own life?  The hope of Christmas is built on this premise.