What are you looking forward to?

Alexander Schmemann makes a great point in his book "Liturgy and Life" when talking about how to sanctify time. He says, “We always have those little “ends” which help us to forget about the ultimate end.” Why? He goes on to say that all the great men of the ages ultimately come to the discovery that life is meaningless. He writes “Whether I die tomorrow or in thirty years, all I am trying to do, all that I am trying to be is void of meaning because I will disappear. So, the time of human existence is meaningless.” We are always trying to forget this by filling our lives with pleasant distractions.

The Feast of Feasts, Christ’s Resurrection overcame this meaninglessness. Thus, to sanctify time we need to view it always in relation to the Resurrection of Christ. Schmemann writes, “We are always living after Pascha, and we are always going toward Pascha.”

Lately I have been looking forward to April. I am looking forward to more sunshine, more flowers, more time outside, Pascha, and the near completion of the academic semester. I am looking forward to our interview with the immigration department and hoping my husband gets granted permanent residency in the not too distant future. I am hoping with April comes a decision from the math department if they will offer my husband another contract for next year (Yep, all Minnesota Universities have to cut their budgets by about 10% for the upcoming year making his fixed-term position open to slashing). I am looking forward to being closer to the delivery of baby.

These things occupy my mind. This is where my heart is often fixed.

These are not bad things and they need some degree of my attention. However, all these things are good only if they help me prepare for the ultimate fulfillment of Christ’s coming again.

And honestly, learning patience while waiting for these things is more valuable than all these things combined. I don’t really know what I am trying to say. But somehow, I think I would like to focus more on the mundane tasks of life and less on my little hopes for the future. These things aren’t ultimately going to satisfy me but somehow giving my heart to Christ throughout the little chores of life will.