Excitement is in the air!
The excitement is in the air now. The Tuesday Afterschool kids were wound up. I’m counting down the spaces on the Advent calendar to see if I have enough little surprises left. (I have to put them in each night or they’d all be gone the first day.) I’m starting to run through lists of people in my head throughout the day, thinking of what I have for them and what I still need to get. In the church we think of Advent as a holy season, but in reality, it’s crazy. It’s hectic. And it’s busy.
I’ve told many kids I the past few weeks how Advent is not just about buying gifts and putting up decorations. Advent is the time we use to get ready for Jesus to come into our lives. Yes, we celebrate Jesus’ birth on Christmas, but Advent is about more than that. Advent is the time to take stock and realize where you need a little more of Jesus. It’s the time to try and find those spaces in your life that need Christ to be born into them. Advent is about making space and getting ready for Jesus. Even if you are already a Christian – already a really good Christian (whatever that means) – you can still find places and spaces and situations in your life where you don’t welcome Jesus. That is what Advent is about. Finding where you need Jesus and then finding ways to welcome the Christ in.
In the next week as you go about the craziness of getting ready for Christmas, don’t forget to get ready for Jesus too.