Decorating, shopping, baking, meetings for which to prepare, sermons to write, driving DD to all of her rehearsals, cleaning, and the list goes on and on... This morning, I got up and just got busy. I finished my sermon for Sunday, I cleaned in the kitchen, I put up a few more decorations and put the storage boxes back in the basement, vacuumed the family room and added a few touches to the decor down there, swept the kitchen floor and called my mom all by 7:30... Whew! Now I need to make some carmel puffs for church and bag them up, get some cards ready for a meeting in the morning, edit and print off my Lay Speaker report for Charge Conference, and I still need to put up the outside lights... But I'm hoping to be able to relax this evening and do a little crocheting.
I'm wanting to relax and enjoy the season. This hustle and bustle is just too much for me. It's time for me to reevaluate somethings, to think about how I'm spending my time during this season but also all year long. I want to be able to be with those I'm with and those I want to be with. I want to think about what this season is really all about, the anticipation, the waiting, the preparing.
How do we prepare? The scripture for Sunday is from and Isaiah and Mark. It talks about a voice in the wilderness calling us to prepare the way of the Lord. How do we do that? I think the best way, is to show the love that we've been shown by God to all those around us. To forgive as we've been forgiven. And then by doing all this, by forgiving and by (most importantly) LOVING be changed and help make change in the world around us so that we can all be ready.
This is what I want to focus on this Advent and honestly, everyday. I think if I do, I will experience all the things of Advent ~ Hope, Love, Peace, Joy and Christ.
What a wonderful question how do you prepare for your Lord. I prepare in exactly the opposite way I prepare for Christmas. Christmas is busy, loud full of people. Preparing for my Lord is quiet one person at a time with little activity and a great deal more listening and waiting.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand. It is crazy at my house during the holidays and I love the time spent with family and friends, the time decorating and baking. I think all those things though can be part of our preparing the way. When we bake we can bake a little extra for our neighbors or a shut-in. That's showing love in a yummy way. :) By spending time with my family and friends and truly being with them, not being distracted by cell phones or schedules, showing them LOVE. In our busyness and loudness we can still show God love and that is the best to prepare the way of the Lord.
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