It is an interesting oddity, in American Christian homes, that the departure of Thanksgiving, and the approach of Advent, cross paths in the night.
“Black Friday” finds me, not shopping, but mildly overwhelmed by the confluence of pumpkins, evergreen, and purple candles that has exploded into my living room. The lingering relaxed state of Thanksgiving, meets the approaching footfall of Advent traipsing up my walk, with a bit of a start.
It doesn’t leave a lot of time for transition.
But, maybe this is a blessing. Maybe the point of Advent, is preparation. After all, Christmas doesn’t arrive for another four weeks, or so. There is much self-examination, contemplation, ….sweeping out of the spiritual cellar, to be done before our Lord arrives.
That is sort of the point.
Maybe part of the lesson, in all this, is that no one is really ever prepared. That's why we needed the free gift of grace,... and grace is the reason that we will survive our human brokenness. It is why the incarnation was an ineffable event... It affirms that we have worth, in Christ, even in our humanity.
So, I suppose I shouldn’t be concerned that there is still a fat orange pumpkin on my hearth, as I set out Mary and Joseph. Perhaps, sending my daughter out to the front door to,…“Take down the Fall wreath and replace it with the Christmas wreath”,…. is a natural transition. Gratefulness is a wonderful backdrop for gearing up to welcome the greatest gift of all…
Oh Come, O Come Emmanuel...
...Hopefully, by the time you get here, we’ll be ready.
After all, that is the purpose of the Advent season, isn’t it?
Pax Christi,
~Michelle
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Pax Christi!
~Michelle