Arriving Soon!

The excitement of Advent is in the air!

In keeping with my “Fruits of the Spirit” theme for 2021, the Advent season seems the perfect time to recap and reflect upon these abstract nouns that live inside us via the Holy Spirit.

In her devotion “The Fruit of the Spirit at Christmas Time” from Coffee and Cookies with God, best-selling author June Foster uncovers these traits in the characters described in Luke 2. For example, the humble shepherds, who first heard the news of the coming Messiah, exhibited joy and faithfulness as they journeyed to Bethlehem. The faithful wise men also needed patience for their long journey. In his faithfulness to God and to Mary, Joseph revealed his love, his patience, and his self-control. Finally, Mary, the woman God chose as the mother of His Son, demonstrated all these characteristics.

“She showed peace when she discovered she was pregnant, patience in waiting nine months for her baby to be born, joy that God allowed her to birth the Savior, gentleness in her care for the baby’s needs, faithfulness in her role as a parent, and her love for her Son.”

She obviously possessed the virtues of kindness and goodness as well.

Let’s remind ourselves to be like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men.

Young children can also be reminded of the blessings of the Holy Spirit in Amy Parker’s Night Night, Angel. This new board book offers a fun and loving way to help children remember the true reason for the season as they nestle into their beds every night.

While Little Fox has been “waiting all year long” for this special time, he and his friends and family discover they are surrounded by lots of blessings. In the midst of all the music and lights and snowflakes and special treats, Little Fox sees that the Christ Child is “the greatest gift of all.”

Our anticipation of the birth of Christ is a season known as Advent. Traditionally, this season begins four Sundays before Christmas. While many stores have been sporting Christmas decorations since October, most churches and many homes start preparing to celebrate Christ’s birth shortly after Thanksgiving.

We sing hymns such as “Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus” and “O Come, O Come Emanuel” to welcome the Christ child into our homes and hearts.

We display Chrismon trees and Advent wreaths to symbolize the majesty and the purity of Christ as well as the hope, love, joy, and peace He represents.

My church erects a Chrismon tree filled with beautiful crocheted ornaments lovingly made by one of our church ladies. Our pastor also uses an Advent wreath to teach our children about the meaning of the season. Each Sunday he helps the children light the candles of hope, love, joy, and peace as he explains their significance one by one. During our Christmas Eve service, we light the Christ candle before we all spread the light throughout our sanctuary as we sing “Silent Night.”

These and other traditions help us focus on the true Light and not just the tinsel and the trappings.

Reading scripture, reflecting, and offering prayer for a few moments every day is a wonderful way to keep our eyes stayed on Him. In the book Twas the Season of Advent, author Glenys Nellist and illustrator Elena Selivanova offer twenty-five days of devotions for helping young children understand the meaning of this season.

The word Advent, Nellist explains, “means the arrival of a notable person, thing or event,” but the word is also a part of the word adventure. Beginning its Advent adventure on December 1, Nellist’s first devotion previews all the characters involved in the story of Christ’s birth. From the prophecies of Isaiah and the angels who heralded the news to the key players in our nativity scenes, this beautifully illustrated book provides a devotional for each day of Advent.

From December 1:

“‘Twas the season of Advent, when all through the earth,

            People were pausing to ponder Christ’s birth.

The bright lights were hung ‘round the doorframes with care

            In hopes that Christmastime soon would be there . . .”

From December 25:

“As Mary and Joseph stood under the star,

And thought about Jesus and things from afar,

They heard a God-whisper, that danced through the light . . .

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.”

As we move from our recent litanies of praise and thanksgiving, let us shift our focus to a litany of worship and adoration as we await the celebration of Christ’s birth.

“In view of such great tidings of love announced to us, and to all people, how can we not be moved to praise and celebration in this Christmas season?

As we decorate our tree, and as we feast and laugh and sing together, we are rehearsing our coming joy!

We are making ready to receive the one who has already, with open arms, received us!

We would prepare you room here in our hearts and here in our home, Lord Christ.”

–from Douglas Kaine McKelvey’s Every Moment Holy

During the days of Advent, I challenge myself and my readers to prepare room in heart and home and to draw closer to Him by setting aside quiet time each day to read, rest, and reflect in His Word.

A devotional focus in December aptly provides a preview of my 2022 blogs where I will be featuring a different devotional book each month. Everyone who subscribes to my newsletter will have a chance to win copies of these devos featured quarterly.

May your Advent season be blessed!

“Advent is not a time to declare, but to listen, to listen to whatever God may want to tell us through the singing of the stars, the quickening of a baby, the gallantry of a dying man.”—Madeline L’Engle

“The manger dares us to believe the best is yet to be. And it could all begin today.”—Max Lucado

Isaiah 40:9-11; Isaiah 11:1-10; John 1:9-18; Luke 2