So, I think I'm getting a little insight into why the nativity/baby thing I talked about in my last blog weighs heavily upon me.
It happened this morning as I was thinking of all the things I needed to do today: a deadline to meet, cards to write out, issues that need to be dealt with, etc, etc, etc.
It was one of those, Lord, if you don't give me the strength, ain't none of this gonna to happen today moments.
And that's when the angels sang and the clouds departed and I got a glimpse into this struggle I've been having. The truth is...
I don't need a baby to get me through every day. I need a strong man who's in control of everything.
Don't get me wrong, babies are fine. For a while. But I don't know anyone who wants their baby to stay a baby. They are needy and helpless and in spite of their being adorable beyond words, they just can't do much for themselves. Much less help you out!
And Lord knows I've needed a lot of help this year!
And this leads me to the main point of this blog...one that it has taken me a lifetime to embrace...
About the upcoming Advent season. And all it means. And why every year I struggle with its arrival...warily eyeing it as it draws closer and closer...
All the while wondering if there is something wrong with me.
Because it confounds and puzzles me.
I must own a dozen or more Advent devotionals. I have an Advent wreath and candles.
But every year, about this time, I hit a wall. I find myself chafing and restless to get beyond it.
And then I feel guilty because seriously, what kind of person doesn't do Advent?
Well, today it dawned on me what's going on. And it all boils down to the difference between Coming and Come.
I don't know about you, but when I have company Coming, it's full speed ahead: the house gets cleaned, the fridge stocked, everything is put in order. I work hard to make my home a place that will be comfortable and welcoming. It's my way of saying, You are special to me and I'm so glad you are here!
And whether I meet them at the airport or watch eagerly for the headlights coming down the driveway, there's a sense of expectancy and joy that comes with knowing I've done my part and now I can relax and enjoy my long awaited loved ones.
But once they have Come it's a whole different story. Gone is any semblance of order! The house is in chaos: couches piled high with stuffed animals and cuddly blankets...coats and sneakers everywhere...books and games and craft materials cover all flat surfaces.
And I love it! It's comfortable and real and alive!
It's the natural outcome of what I worked so hard for...
Time to be with the ones I love...to relax and make memories and share from our hearts.
And this, dear ones, is my question...the one I am finally asking...bravely asking...
Because I really want to know!
Why spend a whole month preparing for the Coming, when the Guest has already Come?
It's like when you celebrate a grandchild's birthday. You don't go back and concentrate on the happenings of the birth and all it entailed. No, you embrace the child where he or she is NOW...the glorious fact that they are alive and with you.
I wonder...is there some ingrained part of me that unconsciously thinks I have to spend a whole month preparing for the Guest who is already here?
If that's true, then it's no surprise I get tired just thinking about it! I can keep the preparation pace up for a week or so, but after that I'm done and done in!
So what I want to know is, why can't I just celebrate the Living Christ...the One who has already stepped into this world and who is now walking and talking with me every minute of every day?
Christ with me and in me...my Living Hope...
The One to Whom I say Thank You...every day...with all my heart. Because without Him I seriously doubt I'd still be here.
A whole month of praise and worship and adoration to my Lord!
Bring it on!
So this is where you come in dear friends...can you tell me...because I really want to know...
How do you put your head around the truth that He isn't Coming year after year after year...
But that He has already Come? Emmanuel. God with us!
What does that mean to you? How do you live it out? Appropriate it?
I know this is a different blog post. Think of it more as a phone call between friends where there's give and take and talk from the heart...me and you sharing and encouraging one another!
I'd love to hear from you! Your words would be an encouragement and blessing to me.
And while I wait to hear from you, may I share this prayer?
Father, I pray that the Light of Your Love will always shine in our hearts...and through us to those around us who, in spite of the many lights glowing around them this time of year, still walk in darkness. May we always marvel at your great love for us,
and may your love transform us and touch all those we encounter.
We love you, Father.
Amen!
photo credit: wuestenigel <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/44879073425">Spray and cloth cleaning for cleaning the house</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>
I hadn't planned on it, but this weekend I bought a miniature poinsettia...marbled in red and white, barely 3 inches tall.
I tenderly packed it amidst a flat of pansies, brought it home and placed it gently into a fragile porcelain Christmas cup, setting it on my kitchen window ledge where I could admire it.
From the moment I spotted that tiny thing at the greenhouse, lost among its larger, bolder, flashier relatives...
I knew it had to come home with me...
For it was a kindred spirit with my longing spirit...
For a simpler, quieter Christmas...
A Christmas season with less exterior and more interior.
A Christmas season with Jesus.
Not frantic busyness.
You see, for years I turned our home into a Christmas wonderland...every surface covered with glitter and lights, nativities and snowy winter scenes.
I spent days clearing out and packing up my normal life to make room for this once-a-year-spectacle called Christmas.
