Advent is about eating a bit of chocolate each day and planning Christmas presents, right?
That’s all it’s ever been for me, anyway. But this year I’ve been challenged to see Advent as more than just the time when it becomes socially acceptable to play Christmas songs.
In a few weeks time we will be celebrating a momentous miracle – God coming to live among us on Earth – the start of His rescue mission!
Instead of waiting until Christmas day to be thankful for this amazing gift, how about starting right now? It doesn’t matter that we’re well into December already – it’s never too late to start.
You could keep an Advent diary and write down something you’re thankful to God for each day.
Or try the Advent Box trend that people have been sharing online. The idea is that every day you put something in the box – a tin of food, loo roll or other toiletries, and by Christmas you have a whole box of things to donate to your local food bank or homeless shelter.
Spend some time thinking about the build up to the very first Christmas, 2015 years ago. Before Jesus came, the Jewish people had been waiting for hundreds of years for him. The Bible tells us about Anna and Simeon (Luke 2:25-38). They had heared the prophecies and knew a Saviour was coming. They had faith in God’s promises.
You might be waiting for God to do something in your life, something you’ve been praying about for a while. Ask God to give you faith for the things you’re waiting for.
Think about the joy Simeon and Anna felt when they finally held baby Jesus. Meeting Jesus is always exciting, but this advent, I’m so thankful that Jesus was even more excited about meeting me!
