Anticipation

I remember vividly the year the biggest box under the Christmas tree was for me. Me! Not that I am competitive or anything ;-), but when you are fourth in a family of six, there's always competition for the biggest something (it took until I was in college to realize I didn't always actually want the biggest piece of pie). The gift did not disappoint, either: Betsy McCall Fashion Designer, right up my artistic alley (thanks, Mom!). Somewhere long ago I lost all the design sheets and templates, but I still have the light box - it is one of my most  treasured possessions, and I even occasionally still use it. 

Children get Christmas right, even though they sort of get it wrong, too. They know how to anticipate it. They make Christmas lists and start getting excited well in advance. When I am around little ones I can sense this almost palpable shiver, a contagious energy that helps everyone around them look forward to the big day. If they still believe in Santa there is another dimension to their excitement, an imaginary other-world excitement about icicles and elves and shimmering North Pole villages.

On the other hand, as kids we're mostly just excited because we are anticipating the presents. Imagine if just seeing packages under the tree now was enough to get our hearts racing. And think how great it would be if we still could love just about anything and everything we get!! But, alas, I got older, I developed preferences, and I got disappointed - not the right color, not the right style, not right..So I shifted my expectations from the material part of Christmas to the spiritual, the whole "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" thing. Now, I don't want to sound overly cynical or unspiritual, but Christmas still remained un-wonderful for me. For a few years I allowed myself to get overwhelmed by cookie baking and present making and shopping and stuff, stuff, stuff, before I stopped having such high expectations of myself. And a few words to remember that "it's all about Jesus" didn't stand a chance against the effort of squeezing Christmas celebrations into a few days off work.

Advent Candles

But lately the inevitable growing up and losing my childhood excitement over Christmas has been replaced with a new excitement: Advent. Advent, strangely enough, was not part of either my family or church traditions (we were in what I now call  a "liturgy free zone"). But I have recently - finally - figured out the gift of Advent. It is four weeks focused on anticipation, a relatively long and leisurly opportunity to get my heart ready for the biggest and best Gift of all.

The most important thing to remember about Advent is that it is NOT about anticipating the birth of Jesus. Because if it was, we would just be pretending, since he’s already been born. Advent is for remembering that Jesus is coming back – the second coming, his promise to return. Advent is simultaneously a preparation for celebrating the first coming and a kind of “am I ready?” check-in for the second.

Can't wait!