With December drawing to a close, I would like to sit back and continue feeling the warmth of Christmas. However, the calendar calls me forward. It is time to pull down garlands, pack up the crèche, store the crystal punch bowl and put away the Advent wreath. All the lovely things that came out to help usher in the joy of Christmas must be stored away again. It’s like packing away the old year and tossing aside the troubling memories. Work schedules and doctor appointments and car repairs will go on the calendar now.
Advent has been a fantastic adventure. It actually began when God’s Son came to earth to show people the meaning of life and implant His character within them. For the past 2,000 years, Jesus has offered hope. We’ve experienced His love as He has filled us with His joy and has given us His consistent, overwhelming peace. With the psalmist we can truthfully say, “All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful” (v. 10). The Adventure continues as we wait in hope and anticipate Christ’s return.