It's true. I love Christmas. Pretty much all things Christmas. I am a strong advocate for decorations, and putting your tree up as soon a possible in order to maximize the number of days you get to plug it in and marvel at its beauty....the twinkling lights, the nostalgia of ornaments, the pine tree smell. I love that baking becomes 110% acceptable the whole month of December. It's December 9? Okay, let's bake some cookies! I love cozying up with a blanket and cup of coffee with a book or a journal. I love holiday movies and specials, and making crafts and cards. I love giving gifts and wrapping presents, and those rare moments when you remember EXACTLY the perfect gift to get someone....something you happened across months before, and just happened to remember at just the right time. I love that the frequency of mail increases, and that even the most digital, technology-forward people will buy postage stamps and send out Christmas cards.
And yet, there is still this underlying reality of our fallen, broken world that even the tastiest cookies and best Christmas music cannot overcome. I watch a close friend grieve the death of her mom. I catch just thirty minutes of news at the gym, and can hardly believe this is the world we live in. My heart breaks for all the people in the hospital, as their loves ones just live moment by moment, a few stories I know, and so many that I do not. I reflect on my own struggles, a recent recurrence of anxiety, and wondering where I will find the strength and courage to face this reality once more.
My solace and hope has come from observing Advent, and being loved and known by my people. Advent is a time of preparation, and has been such a fruitful and grounding experience for me. A daily exercise is reminding myself that this life is not my own, and that my hope cannot be in this world, as it will fail me every time. To recognize God's orchestration and His coming to dwell among us, and to marvel at the work of His hand, His timing, and His faithfulness.
This passage from Waiting Here for You: An Advent Journey of Hope, resonated with me:
"All of us are waiting n something, often wondering if God has forgotten us. In your waiting, let the birth of Christ encourage you. Just because God hasn't come through (as far as you can see), it doesn't mean He has abandoned you. To Him a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. This very minute He's working for His glory and for your good. Though circumstances say otherwise, God is going to come through, on schedule, fulfilling His long-appointed plans for you. Don't give up before the time is right."
I ask myself, where do these two intersect? Can I have both - the childlike, lightheaded celebration and wonder and awe that is Christmas, with the current state of affairs in my small community, as well as the global one? I say yes. I say yes, because Christ came to Earth exactly for the things that break my heart, and it is still worth celebrating, even two thousand years later. Sure, there are many new traditions that have nothing to do with the birth of Christ, but getting caught up in legalism seems the worst way to celebrate, and the best way to suck joy and life from the spaces you occupy.
The older I get, the more I cherish this time of year versus Christmas day. It is not about presents anymore. It's the time of year when you see a post on Facebook about sending Christmas cards to an 8-year-old girl who was the sole survivor of arson. It's when you make it a point to bring people together - whether to bake cookies or have a party or exchange gifts. It's a time to reconnect and to reminisce. It's about going home, or making a home in exactly the place you are in. It's a time when there just seems to be some extra I love you's floating about, and a little more compassion.
It's not perfect, and it doesn't always bring out the best in us. I know many people dread this time of year. But take heart, and don't give up before the time is right. People living before the coming of Christ waited hundreds of years in great anticipation for His coming. Maybe this year say no to a few more things, so that you can enjoy the things you say yes to. Give something to someone you ordinarily would not. Send a few cards. Bake some cookies. Light your favorite candle. Drive by some lights. Focus on being present.
May God be near to you this Christmas.
With Love,
Alyssa
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