As the world speeds up, Advent encourages us to slow down. The Advent season is all about reflecting on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christ's birth. I love this season and see it as a gift to pause and remember that we are "in the middle," between Christ's first and second coming. This annual time in our calendar gives us an opportunity to make space to read, rest, and sit in awe of the gospel story. It can become a cherished yearly rhythm for families and individuals. You may not know much about Advent, and that is ok! It is simple.....taking time to pause and reflect daily as you prepare and anticipate Christmas and the real reason for the season. . . Jesus!
Whether it's lighting the candles on the Advent wreath, opening the daily doors of an Advent calendar, engaging in acts of kindness, or reading daily scripture around the dinner table these moments become anchors, grounding us as individuals and families to the hope, love, joy, and peace our Savior brings. Let's explore the meaning behind the four words we often here during this season.
Hope: It's the anticipation of better days, the promise of light piercing through darkness. Hope inspires resilience. Hope brings a promise of new. Hope changes our perspective!
We wait in hope for the Lord. He helps us. He is like a shield that keeps us safe. Psalms 33:20
Love: It's the call to embrace a love that transcends material gifts. A love that urges us to share kindness, empathy, and understanding with others just as Christ loved us, we love others. Love becomes the heartbeat of the season, the why behind our practice.
You are the children that God dearly loves. So follow his example. Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. Ephesians 5:1-2a
Joy: Advent invites us to find joy in simplicity, It's a reminder that amidst the hustle, joy can be discovered in the present moment, in the reality that I am a child of God. Joy is something deeper and more constant than happiness. It is a state of being centered on who Christ is and what He has done for me.
He is our God. We trusted in him, and he saved us. He is the Lord. We trusted in him. Let us be filled with joy because he saved us. Isaiah 25:9
Peace: Peace in the midst of chaos, this word beckons us to pause, breathe, and embrace the stillness. The cold, dark, manger where Christ was born is a simple reminder that peace on earth comes in ways we can't manufacture on our own. The peace of Christ comes into our hearts and reigns over the demands of the day and expectations of the season to bring something lasting and sustaining. Christ is our peace.
I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid. John 14:27
Take time this Advent season to pause, reflect, begin a new rhythm that is in sync with who we celebrate: Christ our Lord. The link below has resources available for individuals and families to explore. Advent begins this year on Sunday, December 3. Be creative and experiment with a new habit that fits you and your family, and may this season and the meaning of Christmas come to life in a whole new way! Blessings to you and yours this Advent season as you journey to the manager.
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