Advent

Advent is a season of longing and waiting. God's people longed for their Messiah to come. I have been singing "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" over and over. This morning I sat in our family room, the only lighting was the lights on the mantle and the Christmas tree. I watch the sun rise an light up the sky with color and beauty. I read about the Savior.

Come thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a Child and yet a King.
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

We have done advent devotions and an Advent wreath from time to time, but never has a Christmas come that I felt we did enough to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Busyness creeps in and before you know it we are dealing with wrapping paper and lists and baking and preparing and tiredness. This year I am doing an Advent devotion in the mornings. I am praying each morning for the things we long for...the things only God can give...things far more important than anything on Amazon. I can't even remember what I got as gifts last Christmas, that shows me how unimportant those "needs" really are. If I could make a wish list to give to Jesus maybe it would look like this:

1. That my children would continue to grow more and more like Christ

2. That my grandchildren would come to love the Savior

3. That those who have nothing in this world would somehow see that God loves them and that would bring hope for a better day to come

4. That all the lonely children in the world would be loved by someone and shown the love of the Father

5. That my heart would be broken with the things that break God's heart and

6. That I would be willing to sacrifice it all to be His hands to the broken hearted

7. That joy unspeakable would transform me even in the darkest day

I could go on and on. So, in the early morning, while it is still dark, I have been climbing out of bed and presenting my "wish list" to Jesus. In those moments my heart fills with gratitude for all that He has granted me. My heart breaks for those who do not know Him and for those who are suffering things I read of but can't imagine. My soul longs for Jesus. I so desire to see and know His power and to experience His presence. I so desire to see this broken world find true comfort that only comes from knowing Him.

So, I encourage you to use this Advent season to prepare your heart to celebrate the coming of the Savior of the world. It is not too late to slow down and enjoy all that He has already done. To reflect on the Gift. To wonder what Mary felt. To imagine the faith Joseph exercised. To think of the excitement the shepherds felt. To let go of the things of this world and sing "Come thou long expected Jesus..raise us to thy glorious throne."