itsawonderfilledlife

And so, Christmas begins … in the dark, looking for the light.

This is it … Advent Eve. The day before the first door is opened, as we countdown to Christmas (and get our daily chocolate (or socks, or tea, or whiskey …) as a reward for waiting another day.

Advent … waiting.

The word advent means to come, but the season is about the awaiting of the coming of the Messiah, so that God could be with us … or, more specifically, so that we could be with God.

God, in the flesh.

The highly anticipated King of the Jews,

born in a manger … a feed trough.

Jesus … the bread of human life.

The redeemer of God’s chosen people,

who came to offer eternity to … all.

So that we are all his chosen people.

This is a season of celebration, anticipation and hope,

but …

it is still dark …

and the closer we get to Christmas,

the darker it gets.

This is the dichotomy of advent …

that as the world gets darker,

the light shines brighter,

for,

“Light shines brightest in the deepest dark!”

John Butcher

For the days leading up to Christmas day, itsawonderfilledlife will be like an advent calendar. It will be a place that will take us from dark to light, from black to bright … maybe even from despair (for some are feeling despair this day, these days) to hope.

This is for anyone … for the busy (they will be short) and the bored, for the discouraged and the joy-filled, the lonely, the hope-deprived, the God-lover and the God-doubter, even for the one who has been deconstructing their faith … for a daily walk toward the birth of Jesus may be just the reminder of what faith (without the extras) really means.

And so, Christmas begins … in the dark, looking for the light.

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