Christmas is coming! Can you feel it?
Houses are beginning to twinkle with lights, Christmas trees are appearing in homes and stores, and special holiday flavored treats can be found everywhere you look. The season of Advent has come!
In Latin, Advent means “coming” and as Christians we want to remember that it is the coming of Jesus that we are celebrating.
I always like to think that these special Christmas moments will magically happen during the Advent season like they do in Hallmark Christmas movies, but my life never seems to work like that. If I want to remember the real reason for the season– especially amidst the unusualness and chaos of 2020– I need a plan to savor the season.
Keep a Calendar
To savor a moment, we have to set aside the time to do just that. If every evening is full, there are no nights to sit in the glow of the Christmas tree lights or sip hot chocolate while doing a favorite family activity.
I have always loved decorating the Christmas tree. My parents’ tree has always been filled with ornaments that tell stories. There are some from family that have been passed down through the generations. There are handmade treasures from my sister and me. The stories that are told while decorating the tree remind us of friends and family near and far. They carry memories of those who can no longer celebrate Christmas with us on earth.
Sarah and her sister at Christmas
If my mom had not intentionally set aside the time to decorate the tree, it may have been decorated hurriedly by my parents late one evening and the stories never shared.
Make time for the experiences and events that you want to savor the most this Advent season.
Keep the Story of Christmas Central
To savor the coming of Jesus, I have to keep the story of His coming in my heart and mind.
When I was a kid, my mom had a special Christmas decoration, a kneeling angel that held a little lightbulb. When you turned the switch on, the light blinked to the rhythm as the built-in music box played Silent Night. My sister or I would turn on this little angel a few times each week during December to signal the beginning of our family devotions.
We would read scripture from an Advent book and then talk about it. It was a time to remind us that Jesus is the reason for the season.
Do you have a plan for reading the story of Jesus’ birth?
There are reading plans for you available from Youversion, She Reads Truth, Lifeway, and many other sources. Find one that fits for you.
Our CRBC Kids “Advent in a Box” will be available on the first Sunday of Advent. This year, there are two object lessons for each week of Advent to help guide your kids to remember the true meaning of Christmas too!
Share the Love
During Advent, we celebrate that God loved us so much He sent His son to earth as a baby. To savor this love, I have to be intentional to take the focus off of me and my family. I have to think of others and share God’s love with them.
Make time to show God’s love to others in tangible ways. Fill a stocking for our CRBC Truck Stop Ministry. Choose a gift from the International Justice Mission Gift catalog to share hope with some of the most vulnerable people around the world. Make cookies and a homemade card for your neighbors. Use your gifts and talents to share God’s love with those you know.
As Advent 2020 approaches, let’s make plans to savor the season.
MEET THE AUTHOR!
Sarah serves as the Children’s Minister at CRBC. After graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with a B.S. in Special Education, she worked with kids and families in churches in Tahoe City, CA, New Orleans, LA, and Lawton, OK before coming back home to OKC. Sarah also has a Masters of Arts in Christian Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She desires to see kids grow in faith that leads them to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and to equip parents to help their kids along that journey. Sarah is married to Joe, and they live in Mustang with their new puppy, Momo.