The Advent Journey 2012

 

As I type this, there is the pitter patter of big feet on my roof.  The outside lights are being hung from the gutters with care, in hopes that it gets done before the snow causes us a scare.  I really am not a bah humbug person, at least so far this year, I know that the kids will start begging for a tree soon and I need to be prepared.

Advent is just around the corner, which is a wonderful blessing, and I am very excited about it.  I know that this is a very busy time in my life, and I am trying to keep my expectations in check.  I want joy to reign in my heart this season.  This is not my natural bent, but God is greater than my bad attitude, and I know He can give me victory.  I'm starting this Advent season with the plan of keeping things very simple, and imperfect in every way.  I know there will be days that are so full, that I have to let things I really wanted to do go.  I will have to trust God that it wasn't that important, and that my kids will have fond memories of our family traditions in spite of all that I don't get done.

This all began several years ago, when I dutifully dressed up all the kids and trucked out into the forest to find myself the perfect tree.  We chopped it down and hauled it home from my Dad's house the day after the Thanksgiving holiday.  We spilled into our house on a Sunday evening, tree, duffle bags, dirty hair, dirty laundry, pillows, stuffed animals and all.  I got everyone up and out the door by 8:00 Monday morning.  Then the toddlers and I tried to tame the mess in the doorway, kitchen, bedrooms, attic, and living room.  It was a monumental task, but I was determined to have that tree looking like it was straight out of Santa's shop by the time everyone got home from school.  All of you moms out there are shaking your heads right now thinking I was a nut case.  Yep, and I totally didn't see it.  I probably only had four or five children at the time.  That was one of a long series of pre-Christmas disasters that did actually happen.  I threw the tree fully decorated into the garage one year about December 10th.  I put the fully wrapped presents under the tree early in December, because my dad had delivered them that early.  I spent the next three weeks chasing down bows, wrapping paper and broken glass balls.  I'm pretty sure I did not honor my father, or love my kids that year.  I spent one Christmas tree decorating fiasco griping at the kids until one of them started to cry, and I felt so awful I went to bed.  I ended up getting the flu and missed my birthday and Christmas morning that year.  I'm pretty sure it was divine justice, and God's mercy to my family.  My dad and Rick pulled off a much more joyful celebration with me silent under my covers.  I finally stopped to ask myself, "Why am I doing this?  Who said I have to put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving?"  I started looking into other options.  It has been a bumpy, twisting road.  My Advent and Christmas traditions are a work in progress.  This year, I am going for simple.  I know I am too busy to pull off the Martha Stewart winter wonderland.  Jesus had a smelly manager, full of animals, and a sweet young mom and dad.  I'm shooting for that picture.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas trees, and Christmas music, and Cinnamon scented candles just as much as everyone else.  It is possible that someday I will figure this all out and be able to make my home look and smell like a funky boutique in a quaint shopping area, but for now I have to work around school schedules, basketball games, finals, work deadlines, and Palouse mud.  The part that I want to develop is the warm smiles, quiet mornings, thankful hearts, and kind words.  It is most important to me that I spend this season seeking after Jesus.  I want to rejoice that He left heaven to come to earth to find me.  He was born so that I could be reborn into His kingdom.  I want to share that with my kids, and my friends, and my family, and my neighborhood.  They don't care if my house smells like ginger, if I'm scowling at them and stomping around trying to make the Christmas cookies.

Here is what I have discovered, and what I am trying to work out.  Advent is a season of preparation.  We don't like to patiently anticipate wonderful things coming our way.  We want to dive in ripping and tearing to get the good stuff.  One of my kids told me that their favorite day of the Christmas season is Christmas eve.  When I asked them why, they said that Christmas was still ahead of them.  On Christmas day it feels like it is all over.  I thought that was very interesting.  That is what Advent should be all about, building anticipation.  Getting out the Advent wreath, and lighting the candles one at a time for four weeks.  Opening the doors of the Advent calendar one day at a time.  Adding decorations little by little.  Singing songs that anticipate the coming King.  Reading the story of Mary and Joseph and their preparations for the coming child.  Looking forward to Christmas.

I don't want Christmas to be 24 hours of fun, and then two weeks of let down.  The twelve days of Christmas start on Christmas day.  I want to be able to feel like we are celebrating well into January.  I want the kids to feel like it is two weeks of party.  I know I am not a party planner.  I know this is an area that I need to work into.  I get really tired, and need to go to my room often.  I want my kids to get into the game.  We put up our tree on Christmas Eve.  I know it seems like a terrible thing.  It is not completely a reaction to years of Christmas tree frustration.  It is the beginning of the real party time.  We get to have it up for two weeks until Epiphany.  We get to put all of the presents underneath it and enjoy the fullness.  We go to church on Christmas Eve and tell the Christmas story.  We sing the carols that celebrate Christ the King coming to rescue us.  It is my favorite part of the whole season.  We stay up late filling stockings and drinking wine.  We get the breakfast casserole ready to fill the house with the smell of bacon and coffee on Christmas morning.

This is where I need to check myself.  The expectations are running high.  Last year for example I stayed up late stuffing stockings and drinking wine.  Rick told the kids to get up and start singing Christmas carols until we all got up to open presents.  At 4:00 a.m. three of them were sitting in front of the fire singing.  Let me just say I was not all joyful smiles for several hours after that.  I will try to resist the urge to slip them all an Ambien on Christmas Eve.  Like I said, it is a work in progress.  I may need to skip the wine, and the stockings until the 28th or 29th.  Maybe we should just hit the hay right after the service on Christmas Eve and have Froot Loops for Christmas breakfast.  If that's what it takes to make sure I have a smile and a hug for everyone on Christmas morning I'm completely willing to try it.  I want to be ready to welcome my savior Christmas morning.  The greatest gift I have ever been given is the gift of new life.  I want to be thankful for the sunrise on Christmas morning, even if I have had to wait for it for a couple of hours.  I want us to make this a season of joyful anticipation.  God is patient, and we should be too.  He throws amazing party's with over the top decorations and feasting.  We will get there someday.  I love my family, and the thing I want them to remember about Advent and Christmas is how joyful it is.  They will celebrate it much more richly then I have, because that is the kind of God they serve.  He just keeps making things better and better.

This is how I have chosen to do Advent in our home.  This is by no means the right way.  If you put up your tree the day after Thanksgiving and love it, I think that is wonderful.  Please have my kids over for some hot chocolate, they would love to sit by tree.  If my children decide to celebrate by making fudge and decorting palm trees, I'm completely down with that too.  My celebratory journey is far from over, so who knows what turns it will take in the years to come.  God is good.  He has created an amazing variety in this world of His.  My quest is for joy in Jesus.