DEVOTIONAL:
I am a person that likes to prepare. I like to plan and prepare for my day, week and sometimes month ahead of time. With school, this is very easy to do as all I need is my planner. I carry my planner almost everywhere and color-code my schedule. I’m known among my friends as a planner, who likes to have everything in order and prepared, so there are no surprises.
However, planning and preparing for Christmas and my spiritual journey throughout the year takes preparation and planning that is much different than for other events. I try to gain something new and different each Advent and Christmas season. Christmas is all about surprises, and I seek to open myself to welcome those surprises each year.
In this day and age, time goes by very quickly with our busy and often interrupted lives. We celebrate Thanksgiving, go Christmas shopping the next day, and all too soon Christmas and the joy of Jesus’ birth is upon us. I’m not trying to say that the joy that comes with Jesus’ birth is not validated. Rather, I am trying to say that we should not forget the preparation that comes before Christmas Day.
Not everyone’s participation is the same, or even similar – it could be very different, but I encourage you to take time to prepare yourself this Advent season. Take time to be present in the preparation and discover or experience something new this Advent season.