the word 'advent', used to describe the period of time leading up to christmas that is celebrated by those who believe, comes from the latin word meaning 'coming'. it describes a season for slowing down, reflecting, and most of all, anticipating fresh hope and grace for the season that lies ahead.
advent is all about anticipation and longing. we know there is something missing, that our souls are incomplete - but rather than longing for it in despair, our longing is joyful, rooted firmly in the hope that the missing piece has come and is coming afresh in our hearts all over again as we move towards a new year.
just like a pregnant mother anticipating the birth of her child, advent is a season of longing for a birth of something new, and something fresh. advent is a time that celebrates the anticipation, the in-between moments - between the time a trapeze artist jumps and the time he catches the next handle, between the time a seed is planted and the time it sends shoots above the ground, between the time a child is formed in the womb and the time it is born - advent is all about the in-betweens. the in-between the 'has been's and the 'not yet's. those delicate, tender moments of holding your breath because you're not quite sure what will happen next, and because at this fragile stage, anything could happen. but you keep hoping for the best, sensing that something beautiful is going to unfold up ahead.
so it is in this season that we who believe take the time to deliberately pull back in the midst of our busyness and all the festivity, to slow down and take a moment to take stock of the 'has been's - the milestones that have marked our past year, and the milestones that have marked our lives so far. we acknowledge the victories, but also the defeats, knowing that it is the sum of all of them that has shaped us for what lies ahead.
and we look forward. oh, we look forward to better things ahead than any we are leaving behind! we can only look forward, fearlessly and hopefully, when we have looked back enough and fully confronted everything in our past. advent is a chance to come clean and face the past before being thrust into the unknown future - a future that is safe, that we can look forward to even if we don't know what it holds, because we know that the One who holds it. and we know that He is good, and faithful, and gracious, and merciful, and kind, and most of all, loving.
advent is a season where we remember an age-old story, of Love coming down to earth, to make Himself relatable so we could understand what love is really all about. so we could live in relationships that give instead of taking away, that heal instead of hurting. as mother theresa, who lived among the poorest of the poor, put it - the greatest poverty is not being hungry, naked, or homeless. the greatest poverty is the poverty of being unloved, unwanted, uncared for. this poverty is not limited to what race, religion, country, or economic group you are from - it's everywhere.
imagine how different this world would look if every single person in it genuinely believed they were loved, cherished, special! that's what christmas, to me, is all about. it's about the most powerful, incomprehensible Being in the universe making himself small and tiny to show us that even in our humble, fragile states, we are valued, treasured, loved. christmas is not about a day - it's about a lifestyle of living in remembrance of that Great Story. and advent is a chance to revisit that story, to give thanks for another year of living and loving, and to look forward... to a fresh chapter, and to learning to love a little bit better.
this season's advent reading: 'searching for God knows what' by donald miller; 'the shack' by w paul young. here are some of my favourite quotes:
searching for God knows what (donald miller):
“Imagine how a man’s life would be if he trusted that he was loved by God. How he could interact with the poor and not show partiality, he could love his wife easily and not expect her to redeem him, he would be slow to anger because redemption was no longer at stake, he could be wise and giving with his money because money no longer represented points, he could give up on formulaic religion, knowing that checking stuff off a spiritual to-do list was a worthless pursuit, he would have confidence and the ability to laugh at himself, and he could love people without expecting anything in return. It would be quite beautiful, really.”
"I wondered how beautiful it is that you and I were created to need each other. In this way, we are made in God’s image. Certainly God does not need people in the way you and I do, but He feels a joy at being loved, and He feels a joy at delivering love. The Bible, with all its understanding of the relational needs of humans, was becoming more meaningful to me as I turned the pages. God made me, He knows me, He understands me, and He wants community.”
“The truth is there are a million steps, and we don't even know what the steps are, and worse, at any given moment we may not be willing or even able to take them; and still worse, they are different for you and me and they are always changing. I have come to believe the sooner we find this truth beautiful the sooner we will fall in love with the God who keeps shaking things up, keeps changing the path, keeps rocking the boat to test our faith in Him, teaching us to not rely on easy answers, bullet points, magic mantras, or genies in lamps, but rather in His guidance, His existence, His mercy, and His love.”
the shack (w paul young):
“Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat. Forgiveness in no way requires that you trust the one you forgive. You may have to declare your forgiveness a hundred times the first day and the second day, but the third day will be less and each day after, until one day you will realize that you have forgiven completely. And then you will pray for his wholeness.”
“Don't ever discount the wonder of your tears. They can be healing waters and a stream of joy. Sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak.”
“Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved.”
“I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships so will our healing, and I know that grace rarely makes sense for those looking in from the outside.”
“...if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes."
“If you and I are friends, there is an expectancy that exists within our relationship. When we see each other or are apart, there is an expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking. The expectancy has no concrete definition; it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else.”
“Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect.”
“All I want from you is to trust me with what little you can, and grow in loving people around you with the same love I share with you. It's not your job to change them, or to convince them. You are free to love without an agenda.”
"Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.”
"Does that mean," asked Mack, "that all roads will lead to you?" Not at all," smiled Jesus as he reached for the door handle to the shop. "Most roads don't lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you.”
“There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved: It is God's finger on man's shoulder.” // Charles Morgan
advent is all about anticipation and longing. we know there is something missing, that our souls are incomplete - but rather than longing for it in despair, our longing is joyful, rooted firmly in the hope that the missing piece has come and is coming afresh in our hearts all over again as we move towards a new year.
just like a pregnant mother anticipating the birth of her child, advent is a season of longing for a birth of something new, and something fresh. advent is a time that celebrates the anticipation, the in-between moments - between the time a trapeze artist jumps and the time he catches the next handle, between the time a seed is planted and the time it sends shoots above the ground, between the time a child is formed in the womb and the time it is born - advent is all about the in-betweens. the in-between the 'has been's and the 'not yet's. those delicate, tender moments of holding your breath because you're not quite sure what will happen next, and because at this fragile stage, anything could happen. but you keep hoping for the best, sensing that something beautiful is going to unfold up ahead.
so it is in this season that we who believe take the time to deliberately pull back in the midst of our busyness and all the festivity, to slow down and take a moment to take stock of the 'has been's - the milestones that have marked our past year, and the milestones that have marked our lives so far. we acknowledge the victories, but also the defeats, knowing that it is the sum of all of them that has shaped us for what lies ahead.
and we look forward. oh, we look forward to better things ahead than any we are leaving behind! we can only look forward, fearlessly and hopefully, when we have looked back enough and fully confronted everything in our past. advent is a chance to come clean and face the past before being thrust into the unknown future - a future that is safe, that we can look forward to even if we don't know what it holds, because we know that the One who holds it. and we know that He is good, and faithful, and gracious, and merciful, and kind, and most of all, loving.
advent is a season where we remember an age-old story, of Love coming down to earth, to make Himself relatable so we could understand what love is really all about. so we could live in relationships that give instead of taking away, that heal instead of hurting. as mother theresa, who lived among the poorest of the poor, put it - the greatest poverty is not being hungry, naked, or homeless. the greatest poverty is the poverty of being unloved, unwanted, uncared for. this poverty is not limited to what race, religion, country, or economic group you are from - it's everywhere.
imagine how different this world would look if every single person in it genuinely believed they were loved, cherished, special! that's what christmas, to me, is all about. it's about the most powerful, incomprehensible Being in the universe making himself small and tiny to show us that even in our humble, fragile states, we are valued, treasured, loved. christmas is not about a day - it's about a lifestyle of living in remembrance of that Great Story. and advent is a chance to revisit that story, to give thanks for another year of living and loving, and to look forward... to a fresh chapter, and to learning to love a little bit better.
***
this season's advent reading: 'searching for God knows what' by donald miller; 'the shack' by w paul young. here are some of my favourite quotes:
searching for God knows what (donald miller):
“Imagine how a man’s life would be if he trusted that he was loved by God. How he could interact with the poor and not show partiality, he could love his wife easily and not expect her to redeem him, he would be slow to anger because redemption was no longer at stake, he could be wise and giving with his money because money no longer represented points, he could give up on formulaic religion, knowing that checking stuff off a spiritual to-do list was a worthless pursuit, he would have confidence and the ability to laugh at himself, and he could love people without expecting anything in return. It would be quite beautiful, really.”
"I wondered how beautiful it is that you and I were created to need each other. In this way, we are made in God’s image. Certainly God does not need people in the way you and I do, but He feels a joy at being loved, and He feels a joy at delivering love. The Bible, with all its understanding of the relational needs of humans, was becoming more meaningful to me as I turned the pages. God made me, He knows me, He understands me, and He wants community.”
“The truth is there are a million steps, and we don't even know what the steps are, and worse, at any given moment we may not be willing or even able to take them; and still worse, they are different for you and me and they are always changing. I have come to believe the sooner we find this truth beautiful the sooner we will fall in love with the God who keeps shaking things up, keeps changing the path, keeps rocking the boat to test our faith in Him, teaching us to not rely on easy answers, bullet points, magic mantras, or genies in lamps, but rather in His guidance, His existence, His mercy, and His love.”
the shack (w paul young):
“Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat. Forgiveness in no way requires that you trust the one you forgive. You may have to declare your forgiveness a hundred times the first day and the second day, but the third day will be less and each day after, until one day you will realize that you have forgiven completely. And then you will pray for his wholeness.”
“Don't ever discount the wonder of your tears. They can be healing waters and a stream of joy. Sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak.”
“Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved.”
“I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships so will our healing, and I know that grace rarely makes sense for those looking in from the outside.”
“...if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes."
“If you and I are friends, there is an expectancy that exists within our relationship. When we see each other or are apart, there is an expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking. The expectancy has no concrete definition; it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else.”
“Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect.”
“All I want from you is to trust me with what little you can, and grow in loving people around you with the same love I share with you. It's not your job to change them, or to convince them. You are free to love without an agenda.”
"Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.”
"Does that mean," asked Mack, "that all roads will lead to you?" Not at all," smiled Jesus as he reached for the door handle to the shop. "Most roads don't lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you.”
***
“There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved: It is God's finger on man's shoulder.” // Charles Morgan
I am happy that you wrote about this too! You know what they say about great minds!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to a new year too. A fresh start & more exciting work. =)
ReplyDelete"Most roads don't lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you.”
I really like how this is put. In this world, people make different choices & travel down different roads in search of significance. To know that God will search for us down our chosen paths really shows His love & commitment to us.