As a kid I always HATED waiting for Christmas, it took so long to finally get here and I NEEDED my toys! I would see the ads on TV of the things I wanted and it felt like some torture seeing them in all their glory but still not having them. Then at some point I realized I didn’t hate waiting for Christmas but I actually LOVED waiting for Christmas.
I got to think about all the good things coming my way day after day. I got to imagine all the ways I would play with those toys and when they finally arrived, oh the joy. It was way better than if they had just showed up out of nowhere. Anticipating something wonderful only adds to the wonder.
In advent we get to wait day after day for the greatest event in history, not just world history but our personal history. God becoming human; Emmanuel: God with us. Now, that is a mystery most of us can’t get our arms around, a wonder that knows no bounds and in advent we get to dream, think, talk, pray and explore all the wonder and meaning of it all every day and that deepens it’s hold on our lives.
So, this advent, don’t rush but savor each day, welcome anticipation and let your thoughts and dreams explore the beauty and wonder. Keep looking towards that day. As you do this Christmas will be something special
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” — Matthew 1:23 (NLT)
— Tic Long, Executive Pastor
