Advent - Day 1

Advent is the time before Christmas that acknowledges the coming of Jesus. It is typically celebrated on the four Sundays preceding December 25, but in our family, we celebrate something every day from December 1-25. Of course there are the standard advent calendars, full of chocolate and treats, but I really wanted to do something a bit different this year. The question was... what? I didn't want it to just be about chocolate - I wanted it to be about Jesus and the boys. After a lot of thoughts and many, many discarded ideas, I decided that each night I will put a note on the boys' pillows (with a chocolate!) that praises or encourages them, along with a Bible verse that relates to the comment. I know, this sounds like some super mom kind of ambition, but it really has less to do with the boys and more to do with me. I need a "thing" that reminds me how great my boys are and I need that "thing" every day! I love them - I really, really do, but my word can they push my buttons! After the struggle of coming up with something for day 1, I can only imagine how tough this will be come day 14 or so.

I know that many of you know that there are some extra challenges in our lives right now, but it seems that everyone I talk to has "stuff" going on at the moment. The thing that I am realizing is that no matter what the "stuff" is, it's irrelevant. The only thing that's relevant is how we handle the "stuff". If we are Christians, God doesn't command us to be happy all the time, but He does tell us to obey and not worry. We must believe that God is bigger than all our circumstances. He is in charge. He loves us. He created us. He is looking out for us. He will provide. We are to obey Him. We are to be content in our circumstances. We are to shine His light brightly for all to see. We are to respond to our circumstances in ways that honour Him.
As a Christian, I need to remember that I always have joy in my heart. I have the joy of my salvation. If I can't respond to any circumstances in my world in a manner that reveals that joy, I am failing to be a true disciple of Christ. In every response I have, I am choosing to hide the light of Christ or to shine it brightly. There is no halfway. There is no room for doubt. I either believe, or I don't.

I've just read back over the last paragraph, and let me assure you, that was all written for me. I do not want to be preachy, I want to encourage each of us to be conscious of how we portray Christ during this Advent season. People are watching us - what are they seeing?
I pray that we can each find ways to show Christ to the people that we encounter - day in and day out. Add an extra line or two to your prayer time, and ask God for opportunities - you'll be amazed at what happens!