Caught Up in Advent Love
Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent when hope was the theme. Today, the second Sunday of Advent, the theme is love. Love is what caused the Father to look with pity on His people who needed a Savior. He loved so extraordinarily that He gave His only begotten Son….” to the world. (John 3:16) Stay tuned….for Easter!
We’re making the trek to Bethlehem and the night that Christ was born. Those of us who have purposed to slow down and breathe in the Reason for this miracle season, are stopping to look for the sights, sounds, and gentle nudges of Father God in anticipation for the coming of His Son to earth. He comes and we GO and exhale Him to our world that needs His hope, love, joy, and peace so very much.
I’ve been hanging out with my two youngest grandsons this week while their mom and dad have been away. The 17-year-old is pretty much on his own, but younger 15-year-old brother still needs my help for this and that, and going from here to there. I get to embrace his closeness a while longer before he is on his own. I can only imagine how God embraces our closeness when we nuzzle in closer to Him.
Nuzzling in closer to God is what I’m doing even as I maneuver Bryson around to his many pit-stops. We’ve been noticing lots of Christmas displays of Santas, snowmen and lit-up trees and homes. But the ones that ignite my passion are those with faith and promise, like a nativity scene or JOY and PEACE signs. No “harking of angels in the sky” or a “star so bright it caused me to follow it”, but simple, hopeful expressions that Jesus really is the Reason for the season. Even when watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, I hear Christmas carols being sung and played. I noticed.
And isn’t that what Advent is all about – in noticing? I believe God wants us to pause at the manger and stop thinking about the things we can’t do anything about. He wants us, like Mary, to ponder. Advent is such a sweet distraction from politics and the things that disturb us in our world. Interesting to think that here we are 2,000+ years after Jesus birth when chaos reigned in the world – and though we live in abundance in our high-tech homes that offer every possible convenience, our world still abounds with chaos. The play list is the same.
If God loved us so much that He would send His only Son to this earth as a baby to be one of us – and we believe it by faith – then ANYTHING we trust and believe God for – IS possible. How do we remain in His love and not run ahead flailing around in unnecessary activity? By managing our calendar in a manner that reflects a life managed by our Master Jesus. A life led by the Holy Spirit prays more, thinks more, does less and accomplishes more. The Lord’s love seeps into the margins of life and then oozes out delightfully tasty to all we encounter. We know we are loved, and we love well when the harmony of heaven hums louder than this noisy world. Christmas’ love came down to us, so Jesus could lift us up.
I am purposing to being more attentive to paying attention to the sights and sounds of this Advent Season. It will soon be Christmas Day when we celebrate such LOVE and our Lord’s coming as a baby AND His soon return to take us home to live with him throughout all eternity.
“Be still and know that I AM God.” (Psalm 46:10). May we STOP and know the baby in the manger is the Great “I AM” and the Lover of our souls!