Discovering Advent

The Christmas season is a crazy, magical time of year.  But, I will admit that I had gotten into a bit of a rut when it came to celebrating the season.  The past couple of years I just felt burned out and tired and wanted to hurry up and get it over with – not a great way to feel during the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”   I needed a change – an attitude adjustment, if you will.  The stress of shopping and trying to find just the right gift and running from one event to another was drowning out everything beautiful about the Christmas season.

As a Christian, the celebration of Jesus’ birth is central to my celebration of Christmas.  And, I felt like I needed to bring my focus back to the Christ child in order to regain the peace and the joy of the season.  While I was never part of a liturgical church that followed the formal church calendar, I began to read about the meaning and celebration of Advent, and I’ve found that I really love the symbolism that it brings to the days and weeks leading up to Christmas Day.

Advent is all about waiting – something we as Americans generally HATE to do.  But, it’s not about the kind of waiting that we do when we’re standing in a long line at the mall or waiting through the third cycle of a stoplight during rush hour.  It’s not that bored, frustrated kind of waiting that drives us to distraction.  It’s about waiting actively.

Advent invites you to lean into the waiting as you anticipate the coming of the Christ child.  Webster’s dictionary says that anticipation is a “feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen.”  There’s a tension in the air that’s almost tangible.  Think about how you feel as you wait for a concert to start or a wedding ceremony to begin or a roller coaster to crest the first hill and take you over the top.  That’s anticipation.  Advent is about fully experiencing that kind of anticipation as you think about and ponder the approach of Christmas day.  And, as you wait expectantly, you find that hope begins to rise – faith begins to rise – joy begins to rise – and peace begins to settle deep within your spirit as you turn your focus towards something bigger than yourself.

So, during this crazy Christmas season, take some time to stop and wait.  Think about how Mary felt as she journeyed to Bethlehem knowing that her baby was about to be born.  Think about the wise men as they journeyed for many days, following a star, drawing closer to the moment when they would meet the baby-king that they were seeking.  Look into the sparkling eyes of a child filled with wonder and excitement as they count down the days until Christmas.  Wait.  Expectantly.  With anticipation.  Find hope.  Experience joy.  Seek peace.  Embrace the journey to the advent of Christmas.

Now “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 (NLT)