The Story of Advent
December 13th, 2022
My childhood Christmas memories always involved an advent of sorts. Not advent calendars and certainly not anything related to church, but there was always a period of expectant waiting. Every Christmas we would gather at my grandparents’ house and, inevitably, it turned into a waiting game as my Auntie M. and Uncle Pat drove up from Texas. We had to wait for them to arrive before we could eat. And we had to eat before we could get to the good stuff…the presents! The thing about Auntie M. and Uncle Pat is they were (and still are) notorious for running late. Like, really late. As the minutes turned into hours, my anticipation and excitement turned to nervousness and despair, exasperation and sheer agony. My little sister and I would take turns standing at the front door, peering out the window, checking the driveway. Until finally, with such excitement and sweet relief we could exclaim, “They’re here! They’re here!”
Since then the Christmas season (and Advent specifically) looks a lot different, both as a Christian and as an adult in general. And although my focus has shifted, the expectant waiting remains. Advent is a time for me to set life’s distractions and my current worries aside to reflect on the wonder and awe of the humble birth story of Jesus. A time to remember the precious gift of His presence in this world. A time to consider all the ways that He continues to offer hope, joy, peace, and love to everyone on this earth. And finally, with excitement and sweet relief, it is a time to proclaim, “He is here! He is here!”
– Courtney Lewellen