At this time of the year, we hear the songs about being prepared for Santa Claus and Christmas to come. I’m sure I can list without scratching my head or my chin, my to-do list before Christmas. Send out cards or emails updating friends and family of events in my life for the year, buying gifts, putting up the tree and decorations, and mailing presents to those loved ones living away. Of course I also have a list of must-be-watched movies and I pull out my CDs or make a Spotify list of albums I want to listen to, preferably without ads. Somewhere in there I try to make cookies or goodies for treats. I’m tired, just thinking about it.
Not everyone has the resources to create a fancy celebration but that does not mean they don’t celebrate. We spent many Christmases in Kenya and some of them were in a famine relief camp. Many of my precious memories come from those days. A woman took scraps of material, wrapped them around bottle cap lids, and with scraps of yarn sewed them together in the shape of a tree. She gifted me, the visitor! An elder was chosen to kill a cow that was cooked in a barrel and shared by the community. Some meat was brought to my house. I was humbled.
Jesus says in Matthew 24:44, “44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” No one knows exactly what time Santa Claus will arrive but we hang our stockings. We do not know what time Jesus will return either. As we think about Advent and preparing for Christmas we must never forget that God is present with us and can reach out to us in a sunrise, the hug of a child, or a need we are gifted to meet. Let us pray today that we will be as serious about preparing to meet our God as we are about preparing for our Christmas traditions. May we also pray that we will come to peace with those we need to forgive. May we have eyes that see the good in the other. Blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 