He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. ~Revelation 22:20
The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord. ~Henri Nouwen
As we enter the highly anticipated season of Advent, have we quieted our souls and prepared room in our hearts for the imminent coming of the Lord? Are we, as Nouwen states, recognizing Jesus' presence not just in this season, but in all the ordinary moments of our lives?
And if we're not living in a perpetual state of expectancy, then why aren't we? What would it take for us to do so?
Advent invites us to slow down, to sit in stillness, to allow that feeling of waiting with expectancy to fill us once again. Is that easy to do in the hustle-bustle of the holiday? No, but we should make every effort to accept God's invitation to come away with Him for a while and find rest as we prepare for the miracle of miracles, the birth of our Savior.
My prayer for you, my friends, is that you will heartily embrace this season with its promise of hope, joy, peace, and love. The coming of the Lord Jesus is right around the corner.
Amen!
Do you have any special Advent traditions? Please share in the comments.
thanks! https://sintrabloguecintia.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Another excellent post. Forgive me for repeating myself, Martha; but this is exactly the kind of post I envisage for the new "Christian Focus" Blog should it get off the ground. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you.
I'm so glad this fits the bill, so to speak, for what you are envisioning, Victor. I'm honored and humbled, indeed.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
I don't have any traditions per se except I do try to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" at least once. Spiritually, I try to use different devotional books to help me focus on the birth of Christ, especially since my preaching will not focus on that this December. I do need to slow down though. I hope to do that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bill, for sharing what you do during Advent. I love the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," too, but it's been years since I've watched it. Perhaps, it's time for me to give it another go.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
We yearn for that stillness, in what has become the most commercial of seasons.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Advent-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.cim
DeleteMay we never forget to sit in stillness with our Savior.
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