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Every day at dusk, I shepherd our flock of sheep into the barn to keep them safe from the predators that lurk about the surrounding woods. This time of year typically ushers in another lambing season, one of two annually. I can see how full the ewes are as they file past me, they having spent the previous five months growing the small miracles harbored within. Each night my anticipation grows as I await new lambs to join our farm. This eagerness turns to excitement as successful lambing is not only gratifying to our mission here, but a true blessing from God for these animals to multiply and thrive. The excitement crescendos in joy (and relief) upon the first sighting of those most adorable and precious little creatures, usually as pairs and sometimes in threes, still wet, stumbling about, working so hard to keep step with their mother, and crying the soft, lilting bleat when they so easily fall behind and get confused. Their innocence is both sweet and pitiful. It is hard not to become attached to such beauty.
Advent, as many of us know, is the time of waiting. A period of anticipation. Days filled with hope for a miracle that you know is coming but has yet to reveal itself. And when that miracle finally arrives, there is great joy and relief. The joy is not just for the realization that a gift has arrived for you and that you are blessed, but that God is there. God is with you. And perhaps you will be reminded he always has been. Celebrate with vigor the joy and miracles of the season, both great and small. Our Lord is coming!
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