|
Written by Robert Barrows
|
|
Thursday, 01 December 2011 15:27 |
|
The word advent is from a Latin word meaning “coming”. This is a season in the church calendar that extends from the first through the fourth Sunday before Christmas. It is a time when we are asked to prepare for the coming of a child born in the manger, a child who will forever change life.
We know how to prepare. We do it all the time. We prepare for the birth of a child. We prepare to take a test. We prepare for the marriage of loved ones. We get ready so that when the expected event occurs we are not caught short handed.
December is a time when we get ready. We decide where we are going to spend Christmas. We purchase Christmas gifts for loved ones and friends. We decorate: we put up lights, put up a Christmas tree, take out those knick-knacks that we only use once a year. We buy poinsettias and bake all those wonderful goodies that are reserved for this special time.
But sometimes in the busyness of this season we forget to prepare the most important thing of all – ourselves. How ready are you to receive the gift of the Christ child? How ready are you to be transformed by this gift? Spend some time this Advent season preparing your lives to receive the gift of the Christ child. Spend some time reading the Bible or a daily devotional such as the Upper Room. Reflect on the wondrous love God is about to show us.
May we all be prepared to receive the gift God is about to bestow. |
