It’s not easy to discover the silent hush of Advent inside a world overflowing with commercialized Christmas Chaos. Advent is the beautiful anticipation of the coming King, but society makes it hard to find time to ponder the hope awaiting us.
We can’t escape the rush of the season, but we can discipline ourselves to take a moment each day to become reacquainted with the hope that came to this world when our Savior came down in flesh to reside within it.
It seems that anything good for us takes a certain amount of discipline. I believe Advent can transform our hearts when we take time to acknowledge the expectation of His arrival.
Part of the problem is that many of us would love to skip this season altogether.
Friend, Christmas is tough for me and if you’ve lost someone in the last few years, I’m guessing you can relate. Last year was the first Christmas without my stepfather. It felt empty and grief-filled. I couldn’t wait for it to be over, but I’m realizing something: Last year, I was focusing more on the death of my loved one than on the hope of my Savior.
It’s completely natural to grieve intensely throughout the holidays. Losing someone to death changes the rhythm of how our families work. It interrupts our lives in ways we cannot prepare for. Since my recent epiphany, I began to contemplate the idea of how much I cling to Jesus on a daily basis, and yet find myself losing sight of Him throughout the season of His birth.
I’ve always thought that distraction is one of the enemy’s greatest tactics. If we have an issue in our lives and lose focus of Christ in the midst of it, then it’s easy to find ourselves farther and farther from His truth.
It seems to me that distractions throughout the Christmas season is a ploy to pull us away from the hope we all need. Please don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to grieve, but how we grieve plays a big part in the process of healing. Focusing completely on the hope of Christ can jolt our spiritual lives right back into perspective.
As we anticipate the birthday celebration of hope, let us discipline ourselves to keep our eyes on Him. Through grief, fear, and tears that pour from the pain of loss, we cannot be distracted. We must be disciplined to keep our hearts bowed toward our Father.
It’s okay to grieve, but please don’t forget that hope is coming.
You can do this.
Love,
Jennifer
Thanks for this post Jennifer. My grandmother passed away a week before Thanksgiving. Frankly I am numb when it comes to celebrations. You have blessed me today with your encouragement. Thank you again.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Kelly. The first year of holidays seem to be the hardest. I wouldn’t say the feeling of loss ever goes away, but it becomes easier to deal with as Christ works within us to renew our hope. God bless you. I’m praying…