It is strange to sit in a quiet house in
this stage of my life and especially during this busy season. These days my life is typically anything but
quiet. Tonight my husband took our
daughter on a “date” and our son is asleep in his
crib, leaving me with an evening to myself full of uninterrupted quiet and I
have loved every second of it! It has
been awhile since I have felt full permission to slow down and just be still. No one was watching. No one needed
dinner. No one was calling for my
attention. No one needed me to do anything
for them. I had waited a long time to
experience this; simply being present and it felt like a gift.
This is the time of year when we
rush. We hurry. We over schedule. We squeeze in as many errands, parties, events
and celebrations as we possibly can. We
over spend, over eat, over indulge and we generally pay the price. We set and succumb to unrealistic
expectations. The Most Wonderful Time of
the Year often feels like anything but.
Our schedules swirl, but the true spirit of Advent, - this most special
time of year- calls us not to just slow down, but even asks us to wait. It asks us not to spend a dime, only receive.
It is always a struggle to slow
ourselves down and savor the true meaning of the season. Children count days
until packages can be unwrapped, adults count hours of opportunity to
accomplish our to-dos. We strive and
always wonder if we have done enough. I
think what God wants us to remember during this season is that its not about
whether we have done enough, it is that He alone is enough. He is always enough.
This year as I practice celebrating
Advent, I am also trying to give gifts that matter along with the gifts I’ve purchased. I’m
trying to give the gift of my full presence wherever I might be (not
over-scheduling and giving my planner realistic boundaries). I am offering my loved ones the gift of my
full attention when they are speaking to me (this is hard for me because I
often like to multi-task while I’m
listening). I’m working on giving the gift of encouragement wherever I see
the opportunity and I’m
trying to practice receiving the gift of grace.
I love this time of year. With faith, we welcome this season of Advent,
filled with beauty, twinkle lights and mangers.
We sing familiar songs and bask in the candlelight. We remember the story that changed the world
as we re-read scriptures depicting the birth of our Lord and Savior. As we journey through Advent, we sing with
the angels, remember the shepherds and celebrate with the wise men. We excitedly wrap beautiful gifts and place
them beneath our decorated trees as we anticipate the arrival of God’s gift to us. We are present as we revel with our families
in the wonder of it all. It is in these
moments of anticipation where it feels impossible to forget that life’s truly important gifts are always
worth the wait.
Oh, come let us adore Him.
~Sarah L.
