Advent 4

Do you ever feel panic when you realize that Christmas is just weeks away? (And perhaps I have just set off that tiny alarm. Whoops!) You haven’t figured out the who, what, when, or where of the season. You haven’t created a menu or shopping list. You haven’t figured out what time and where the family is gathering, or who is coming or not. You haven’t prepared yourself for the annual Christmas party or family dinner and all the drama that goes with it. Advent can feel so overwhelming because all of the festive activities carry the weight and the baggage of the whole year. That divorce. That grief. That unmet expectation. That never-uttered apology. Or maybe you are simply too sick, too tired, or too sad and are having a hard time forcing yourself to spread any cheer. The Christmas season can be a great revealer. Revealing our hopes and expectations…and revealing the more-likely, less-pretty reality of life as it actuallyis. 

This can be difficult to face. Writer Dani Shapiro describes it as “looking straight at the sun…sometimes we can only stand small glimpses at a time.” Maybe that is a reason Jesus came to us as an infant—we could only handle a little bit of the truth at a time. Whether you are trying to be more honest with yourself or with others, with your kids, or with your community, perhaps Jesus might show you how to take baby steps today without carrying the heavy burden of pretending.

https://courses.katebowler.com/courses/advent-devotional-2024/lessons/week-1-2/topics/day-4-2024/