Advent 1

Advent! December first is the first day of the season set aside for preparing for Jesus to arrive and the first day of holiday-people-management.  I so love the one and so fail at the other.  These two opposites collide and wiley Jesus does what he does with a paradox and meets me right in the middle of their debris.

And so, I will walk my heart and mind into the waiting for Jesus part and hopefully walk them out of the rest and so get to Christmas day full of celebration and thanksgiving instead of despair and hopelessness.  Light! Light is coming and so I'll keep my eyes open for the cracks and creases through which it is making its way and most surely, be better for it.

Care to join me?

John 1:15

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of humanity. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

The light shines in the darkness.  That's what is on its way: a light that makes no sense to my darkness, to this world's darkness.

What wonder! What reason for praise!

Light I saw today: the generous giving to children at a Christmas party; a friend answering the phone to tell me I will get through the hilarity that is this time of year; my husband's dad having a second of sad doing one more thing without his wife, the woman who loved all of this.  Light is sneaking in. May I have eyes to see it.

Amen.