Oh Great Light of the World

It's the first Sunday of Advent.

Toby, Blue and I finished off the leftovers while Kevin and Kaden were at an Upward Basketball practice and came in as I was putting Toby to bed.

We didn't talk about advent.

We've talked about Christmas lights. (Outside lights done!) And decorations. (The kids are already nagging me, but I wanted to clean first. That happened today.) 

And Blue has been saying the next BIG event after Thanksgiving is HIS birthday. (Christmas Smishmas - BLUE IS TURNING FIVE THIS THURSDAY, People.)

Preperations for the light, the hope, faith, joy, and peace, of the world... Not yet. At least not in the light-a-candle symbolic way we like to observe this time of year. Tomorrow, when we sit around the table for a meal together (no basketball, no other disrupting plans) we will light a candle; we will talk about what we're getting ready for. We'll begin discussion about why we will begin to decorate, set up a tree, and plan special holiday events because of who the hubub is about.

We try to keep the focus on faith and not stuff. We don't do Santa or have the kids write Christmas lists. I'm one of those snooty people who avoids Black Friday on principal. (Even so, I found myself at Walmart at 3pm on Friday buying outdoor light hooks.) But I've already got my Christmas cards ordered even though I haven't gotten my advent lessons in order. Hmmmm. (Sigh.)

It's ok. Mary/Joseph/Zacharias didn't seem ready for the news when it was first sprung on them. (Angels!) I'm sure their preparations for the long-awaited savior didn't go exactly as planned either. (Zacharias lost his voice which made things difficult to explain, duties as priest difficult to perform... And poor Mary, before forced to travel for some stupid government census right at month nine. Travel by donkey NOT how I'd want to spend my final days readying for a baby.)

So we celebrate as we can. We worship, observe, reflect when we can. We get caught up in the nothing-to-do-with-Jesus commercial craziness or cultural expectations and then (hopefully) we catch ourselves and pull back for a few silent and holy nights.

I do love Christmas, but in our household we are still tweeking its celebration. We aim to be intentional and not just swept along. It's not about finding balance, it's about faith pervading every aspect of this season. (Or any season.)

Trying. So not there. But trying.

Comments

[Jenny]

I loved this post! Beautiful!! thanks for putting up with my rant about December birthdays :)

[Jenny]

I FEEL YOUR PAIN!! As if Christmas didn't put enough things on your to-do list and fill up your calendar with activities, btw, you've got to throw a kid's birthday party!!! It seems like every year, I work on getting ready for Christmas until Thanksgiving. Then, after Thanksgiving I turn my sights to birthday party. Then, birthday party is finally over, I take a day of rest, look up and realize "oh my, Christmas is in a week!!!!" Btw, did I mention that my husband's birthday is between thanksgiving and Abby's birthday? He kind of gets an honorable mention nowadays. lol.