Wednesday Wonder

Advent is coming! It starts Sunday. Are you ready?

Not to worry, Advent is the getting ready time so don’t stress about it. Advent is a time of waiting and preparing. That is actually the whole point of Advent. It builds anticipation for the event that is Christmas day. It is a time to prepare heart and home for the coming of the Christ child. And before you think all the preparing was for just one day, it isn’t. Christmas is actually a season in the church. A short one, but a season all to itself. And you can keep singing Christmas carols until January 6th, which is Epiphany. But the season of Christmas is a rant for another day. I tend to take this church season stuff seriously. I am trying to learn to lighten up about it.

Back to Advent. It can be a difficult season for many of us. First, it takes some patience. And if you have ever read my little weekly offerings you know I have very little of that most of the time. It takes patience because while the rest of the world seems to have moved on to Christmas celebrating, we in the church, are not quite there yet. We all just want to get to the presents, the food and the family gatherings.

Advent is also difficult at times because in the midst of the season of harried preparation, it invites us to slow down and wait. It is a bit like preparing for a baby. Wait, it actually is preparing for a baby! We usually get about nine months to prepare for a baby. It gives us time to gather all the stuff we need, and babies need a lot of stuff. It gives us time to prepare the house however we wish to do that. It gives us time to prepare our minds for being parents, grandparents, whatever your new role might be.

The difference between Advent and the usual baby preparation, besides the fact it is only four weeks rather than nine months, is that there is actually only one thing we need to do to prepare. That one thing is to clear out the clutter in our hearts and minds from the last year and be ready, open and waiting once again to remember that God is coming to be with us, just as God is still with us, just as God will always be with us. Yes, that sounds very confusing. But we know we celebrate this coming of God every year, and last I checked the literal second coming had not yet happened, so we celebrate as a reminder of a past event, but in hope of the future event. Either way, I want to be ready when it happens.

Often, whether to heighten the anticipation, or simply to not have to answer the questions, “Is it Christmas yet?” or “How many more sleeps?” we buy, or make, an Advent calendar for the children. It allows them to count down the days.

As I mentioned above, I am a bit of a stickler for being accurate with the church seasons, much to the chagrin of my son at times. You see, Advent does not begin on December 1st, at least not every year. Advent calendars you buy in the store only have 24 days, December 1 to 24. Some years, like this one, Advent begins in November.

I made an Advent calendar for my son so that it could expand or contract as necessary. Advent can start anywhere between November 28 and December 3. Stephen loved when it started in November because he got a few extra days, but he was not happy if he had to wait while all his friends had started opening doors on their calendars. It is no longer my role to provide an Advent calendar. Stephen is an adult now and it is his job to provide one for my grandson, Damon. So, it is my time for my own Advent calendar.

Waiting can be hard. But waiting gives us an opportunity. This year, I have come up with a list of things I can do to get myself ready for Christmas. Most are little things that will only take a few minutes, like stopping to intentionally take a few deep breaths during the day, or texting my sister to check in (we both get so busy it can be weeks before either of us realizes how long it has been), or simply taking a few minutes to just be, doing nothing at all. Many of the things on the list begin with the word ‘Stop’. During Advent and the wait for Christmas that word can be quite powerful.

We spend so much of the season of Advent racing to be ready for all the holiday revelry, but we also need to stop and be ready for the true meaning of Christmas. God in our midst. That can get lost between the wrapping paper and the turkey baster.

This year, allow yourself an Advent moment each day, even if only to reconnect with yourself. ‘God with us’ is coming and a small moment in my days will give room for that presence, not just in Advent but every day.

Now, I am counting down until Sunday. First on my Advent list: watch my favourite Christmas movie. A couple of hours of just being lost in the distraction that makes me smile. Please extend your Advent patience should you call or text. I promise to respond at the end of the movie.

Advent is almost here and I am looking forward to getting ready to receive the greatest gift I have ever been given. May you be getting ready too.