An Invitation for Christ to be at Home in You this Christmas Advent Season

When I was a young girl growing up in a traditional church setting, our family celebrated advent by lighting candles set in a wreath and by opening a window on an advent calendar every day preceding to Christmas. I remember that the paper advent calendar was a winter scene in blue hues, covered in white glitter. Mom probably purchased it at the Ben Franklin store in town for less than a dollar.

We four kids took turns opening the windows of the calendar each morning while we warmed up next to the heat register and ate cream of wheat cereal that burned the roof of our mouths, before cramming our feet into snow boots, and racing to the bus by 7:15 in the morning. On Day 24, the window opened to reveal Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus in a manger.

The advent of my childhood was filled with anticipation of the coming of Christmas, which is, essentially the meaning of advent.

Coming.

As an adult, the coming of Christmas has a different meaning. Rather than coming, my days are filled with upcoming. Upcoming parties. Upcoming shopping. Upcoming deadlines. Upcoming bills. Upcoming baking. Upcoming stress. Upcoming regular life with the added load of the holidays.

 Impending. Imminent. Looming. 

Hmmmm. Not exactly what I'm hoping for this season. It kinda has the tone of foreboding rather than a proclamation of good news to all people that the angels talk about in Luke 2.

While my church-going tradition no longer includes the celebration of advent, I still look for ways to prepare for the coming of the season. Each year I personally go through an advent devotional. This year I am going back to an old favorite: Pursuing the Christ: 31 Morning and Evening Prayers for Christmastime by Jennifer Kennedy Dean. (The book is out-of-print, but the kindle version is still available)

I need simple ways to prepare my heart in the midst of the all-out sprint of Christmas. Maybe you do too? For that reason, I will be posting a short reflection each day on my author Facebook page and once a week on this blog.

Will you join me?

Can we pause each day and reflect on the meaning of this season? Can we hold onto a bit of the wonder and not get mired in an overloaded calendar?

Reflect for a moment on this truth in John 1:14: The Word became flesh and took up residence among us.

Talk about amazing!! Talk about something worth holding onto!!

Jesus, come be at home in us. Deeply.I like that type of coming.  My heart is filled with anticipation to see what God will do.

Join me.