Advent

Come Lord Jesus, Come.

In this season of "Here comes Santa Claus," Santa Baby" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," I've decided I want our lives to be about so much more. I've always felt that way about Christmas but somehow it means more now that I'm married. Somehow it's been this turn of events that makes me want to revolt against the American Dream all together and make "our life" one that's defined by things other than what the world tells us is important. We tried to do alot of our shopping in a way that gives back - through organizations that friends of ours run - like Krochet Kids and 31 Bits. We don't want it to be about us.

We are mid-way through Advent. If you're unfamiliar with Advent, it's simply a tradition that's been in Christian churches for hundreds of years and it literally means "coming" or "arrival." It is during this four-week period that Christians everywhere dedicate themselves to remembering what Christmas is about and celebrating that with anticipation and intent. You may have seen an Advent calendar at some time in your life. I made one with my college girls this year and we are LOVING it. Basically, you turn the card over each day and read something that reminds you of Jesus coming to earth and how it changed everything.

During this season, we look at four different pillars of what Jesus coming to earth means for us: peace, hope, love and joy. We look back and remember how his life changed everything while at the same time we look forward to the fact that his kingdom will come and sin/death/evil will win no more.

I've been meaning to write this post for a few weeks now and had a little bit of time today. Ironically, this morning there was a tragic event that happened in Connecticut where the innocent lives of children and faculty were taken at a school - the most intense evil imaginable. So today I say, "come Lord Jesus, come." Come in this Advent season and invade our world in a different way. Turn the evil upside down and bring peace, bring hope, bring love, bring joy. Make us your instruments of those things in our own communities and lives that are so broken.

"Christmas is Your light breaking into the darkness. We confess that we are sometimes blinded, not by Your glory, but by consumerism, greed and the oppression of packed schedules. Help us this year to see and respond to Christmas differently. Strengthen us to resist the lure of getting more in a world where so many have so little. Equip us to use this time to remember Your birth and think about how we do Your will here on earth, as it is done in heaven. Break into human history, You showed us a different way - the way of reconciliation, redemption and resurrection. As we celebrate how You came, help us remember why You came - and live differently because of it. Amen."

(taken from the World Vision Advent Study Guide)