Today begins one of my favorite seasons. I don’t love the hustle and bustle, shopping endlessly, or the mindshift where we feel like we may feel peer pressure to get the “hottest item.” But I love the traditions, the smell of food filling a home to feed our loved ones, our Church’s Christmas Eve Service, and the squeals from my girls while making Christmas cookies and licking the bowl.
The world is bleak. It’s full of criticism, judgement, and comparison. Social media can send any Mom on a spiral that she hasn’t “done enough” to make the season JOYFUL. And while the guilt sets in as you scroll and see the perfectly filtered highlight, you don’t know what happened five seconds after that moment.
I know because I’ve been there. You feel less then and as if you don’t measure up. Well, the truth is, we don’t. That’s part of the bleakness as we wait to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the World.
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Galatians 4:4-5 We were created with this longing. This can only be satisfied with the God who created us and the same God who came as a baby to R E D E E M us.
I hope this season brings you one of JOY and peace as you place your longing in Him and allow Him to satisfy your heart. For one day, He will return! Until then we celebrate what He has done for us.
If you want any ideas, my family chooses minimal activities that focus around the JOY that is to come. I have another post here explaining one of our favorite Advent activities.