So it’s Day 2 of Advent already (and the day is more than half over) and I’m already feeling behind. That behind feeling is creating stress, which is EXACTLY what I’m wanting to avoid this Christmas season.
You see this year, I am NOT pregnant, I am NOT nursing a baby, I am NOT moving. All things I have done in recent years that have contributed to exhaustion and frustration that Christmas has brought with it a whole bunch of extras. And so I have felt this deep desire, need really, to prepare my heart for Christmas this year. To recognize and really celebrate the miracle that we are indeed recognizing, that God came as a baby so many hundreds of years ago, to reconcile the broken world with his heart of love.
And as part of this I wanted to write about Advent.
And I’m already behind.
I refuse to let writing about this miracle stress me out. So I’m doing my very best, (which might be somewhat pathetic) to write as many days as I can during Advent about my readings and my reflections. Not as another item on my to-do list to cause me stress, but as a way to NOT FORGET what this craziness is all about.
A few weeks ago I spoke to my very own home MOPS group about keeping Christmas meaningful. I printed out some daily readings and we decided as a group that we would (in a totally no pressure kind of way) try to remember this Advent season by reading these simple, short Scripture verses together (in a virtual togetherness that is). I am going to post our readings here too just in case someone else wants to join in on the party.
Sooo…..since we’re already a few days in, here are a few readings to get us started around this week’s theme of waiting:
Yesterday 12/1 Romans 13:11-14
Today 12/2 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Tomorrow 12/3 Mark 13:33-37
So here is my imperfect Advent preparation. I know that God wants our attention, our remembrance that the baby in the manger is indeed a holy occasion to remember. It has nothing to do with Cyber Monday specials and everything to do with peace on earth. No stress here friends, just moments captured to wait on the beauty and the miracle.