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“Advent is a time of waiting, of hope, of preparation.” I read that somewhere recently, and I realized that I am okay with the waiting, fine with the hope, but not so good with the preparation. The issue is not that I don’t do enough preparation; it’s that I can get so caught up in the preparation that I lose sight of the main purpose and the goal. I rush here and there, consumed with decorating, gift shopping, family plans, and special Christmas programs and activities. All of these are good things, but sometimes I find that I lose my focus on the interior life. In working through my plans and obligations for the coming special day, how often do I stop, and breathe, and remain in the here-and-now? How often do I sacrifice my own quiet time for the busyness of these hectic days?
In Psalm 25: 15, the psalmist says, “My eyes are ever toward the Lord.” For me, in this season of preparation, this means pausing wherever I am to “breathe in God,” and to remember God’s love in coming to live among us, as one of us; to listen for the “still, small voice” among the other noises; to keep my eyes not just on the “things,” however good they are, but to keep them “ever toward the Lord.”
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