As an art therapist, I offer many therapy sessions to groups. This was the case at one establishment where I worked, except for a little time in my schedule that was set aside to meet with people individually – those who may not be able to participate as easily in group art therapy. Luke was one of these people. He would often come to our group to socialize and make people laugh, but in order to create art, he needed 1:1 support. So – while that wasn’t possible in the group setting, I set aside a little time in my day to join Luke in his room and create art with him.

Luke had a specific purpose in creating art – to make his best friend smile – to bring her joy. His friend was a 90-year-old woman who lived in another long-term care building. They had met at a group picnic that the two long-term care homes put on during the summer, and they had become fast friends. However, since they didn’t live in the same building, they had taken up the age-old idea of being pen pals to stay in touch. That did come with some challenges. Luke needed assistance writing letters to his best friend, and his best friend was blind, so she too needed assistance reading and writing the letters. Therefore – this friendship was really a group effort between the two long-term care buildings!

The art we created for Luke’s best friend was much different than the art I did with the rest of the residents. These art projects incorporated a great deal of texture. We had so much fun thinking of new and different ways to create art for his best friend. I never had the opportunity to meet his friend, but every time we worked on art together for her, Luke would talk about her, sharing bits and pieces of what she wrote him in her letters. 

Luke demonstrated to me the concept of joyful anticipation. He was not able to meet his best friend in person after that one picnic in the park, but he looked forward to her letters she sent him and he created art for her with joy knowing how much she would love what she received from him. He was excited and happy the entire time we created works of art for his best friend, knowing when they were received they would be appreciated and valued.

During the advent season, we light the pink candle on the third week and it symbolizes joy – anticipatory joy. We look forward to Christmas day as it represents for us the coming of Jesus in human form. This little baby would grow up to be the one who would die for our sins so that we could have eternal life. Now, we live in anticipation of His return, of the day we will be able to come face to face with Him.

But what about the in-between time? How do we live in anticipatory joy? I think of Luke, creating art, sending it to his best friend, anticipating the joy it would bring her when she opened the package from him. He was never able to see his friend in person while I knew him, but he continued to create many works of art for her, living in the space of pure joy.

Can we follow his example as we look forward to Jesus, to find hope and delight in his friendship in the in-between time?