I don't always decorate much for Christmas. We typically go somewhere on Christmas day so sometimes when life gets in the way, we don't get a tree. We didn't decorate at all last year as we were still in a fog from my dad's passing and my father-in-law recovering from major surgery. It just seemed unimportant with everything else going on. This year, on the other hand, I've been excited about decorating and getting a tree! Ironic that the one year I am longing for a tree, they are hard to come by and the time to search for one is even harder to come by! We may have to settle for the 2 foot tree we got 13 years ago to decorate in my husband's hospital room after his surgery. But, still I am grateful for what we have. So, tree or no tree, this year Christmas will be here soon! And, I will enjoy whatever decorations, whatever joys are here!
As I was going through decorations, I had a lot of thoughts. I was gathering all of the ornaments we have given to my son over the years and thinking how time flies. I also had trouble remembering if some were his or ours! They have blended into our tree ornaments over the years. Now, just as our tree will look different with fewer ornaments, our Christmas will be different with him far away and other family not able to gather due to the pandemic. Last year being a blur, this truly feels like the first Christmas without my dad. Earlier this week was the anniversary of his passing, but I honestly don't remember anything about Christmas last year besides missing my dad. It's almost easier to celebrate these times during a pandemic. If I tried to do a big Thanksgiving celebration and Christmas celebrations with family as usual, there would be a big hole where my dad is supposed to fit in. With things completely different, it doesn't make it as obvious and doesn't give me glaring reminders of "this is where dad and I would be, talk, or laugh". I hope that makes sense to someone else besides me... but if not that's ok, too.
So, as I was going through decorations, I also thought about advent. As you may have figured out from earlier posts, I love advent! Focusing on hope, peace, joy, and love, what's not to love? I have always waited until after December 12th to put up our tree and do most of the decorating. Why? It's probably like the cutting the pot-roast in half story. I do it because that's how I grew up with my parents doing it. My mom's birthday is the 12th and we always waited until after her birthday to get ready for Christmas so that she could have her day.
But, what if I made decorating part of my advent celebration? After all, isn't advent a time of waiting with anticipation and getting ready for Christmas? Since I thought of it mid- advent, I can't do it completely this year, but next year, I will be ready!
Advent week 1- Hope- time to start getting some of the decorations around the house out, including the nativity's and my snowmen collection, and especially my BELIEVE nativity set because hope give us the opportunity to believe.
Advent week 2- Peace- time to get out all of my angels and whatever other decorations give me peace.
Advent week 3- Joy- time to get the tree. We have never had a fake tree. It has been fun going as a family to pick out the perfect tree. Sometimes they have been "not so perfect", but that's part of the joy! Once the tree is up, the lights can go on the tree. One of my joys is watching how excited my oldest dog gets when we get a tree. She spends as much time as possible laying under the tree. Pine needles fly everywhere from her height and down as she works to find the best spot to lay.
Advent week 4- Love- time to put the ornaments on the tree! Most of the ornaments on my tree were things I was given or inherited. Each ornament is a memory of love from and for my family and friends. When I think about all of the love that is put on the tree with those ornaments, and then I think about how much more God loves us, I am overwhelmed!
This all means I have to strategically pack away everything. I will have totes labeled Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. But, I won't have to worry about that for awhile. My Christmas decorations stay up long past Christmas Day. Christmas doesn't end until epiphany January 6th and I wish everyone kept celebrating the Christmas season until then. I get sad that on December 26th I see lights and trees down already. Although, I'm sure there are people who wonder why I sometimes still have mine up in February!
Another thing I wish I would have thought of sooner and hope to do next year is post on Facebook: What brings you _____ (hope, peace, joy, love)? How will you experience or bring ________ (hope, peace, joy, love to others? What scriptures give you ___________? I started late last week with peace and have been inspired by the comments. Also, it has been interesting to see who commented that I don't regularly get comments from. Hopefully I will start right away next year.
These have all been random advent thoughts that wouldn't necessarily fit in one week more so than another so I figured they deserved their own post. Mainly, I hope writing them all down will help me remember next year! Thanks for reading!
Where was God in this? I think He inspired me to be more intentional this advent.
Jennifer
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