Advent. Intentionally.

Advent.

I think I most closely associate advent with a cardboard calendar and cheap chocolate candy.

I found a picture the other day. It was my school picture from when I was 5. I was wearing a plaid jumper (yes, jumper) and a gold cross necklace.
I had to laugh for two reasons:

1. I looked ridiculous in that jumper…

2. Where in the world did I get that cross and why did my parents let me where gold when I was 5?

Being neither committed to jumpers nor the Jesus when I was 5, that picture seemed so out of place. Like a funny little picture of someone else. It was totally me and yet it wasn’t all in the same breath.
And that’s how my Advent memory feels too.

There was no preparation for the King or anticipation of His birth. There was simply the single-minded determination to survive another day for that waxy, toy-shaped piece of chocolate.

Now that I’m a believer, I’ve regularly thought that the Christmas season should be lived out with far more intentionality than it actually is. And despite my regular thoughts, there has been an absence of action to follow. Last year’s Christmas season caught me with a sucker punch. I think I waxed poetically about Joseph and a pregnant Mary on a donkey and how tough the journey was. Little did I know that my own journey on a donkey was soon to follow and it seemed a lot less glorious than the one I wrote about in the weeks prior. Those days were all about survival and so, in the spirit of forced obedience, I trudged a path I didn’t want to be on with valuable yet scarring lessons as the reward.

Since then, I have this felt donkey that hangs from my rear view mirror. A donkey to remind me that the journey from now until next will rarely look the way I want (I mean who wants to be riding on a donkey?) and it often won’t go the way I plan (Much like the days and life of Mary), but God is faithful in growing us in good and perfect ways with good and perfect timing and good and perfect execution…

Ok, so back to Advent and living it intentionally.

This year, I’ll be blogging Advent – What God’s teaching me, what text, scripture, etc. He is putting in front of me, and anything else that pops up along the way. For me, to put an experience into words is to convey my intent to chase it down and commit to its lessons. So, for those that are friends, readers, etc. I encourage you to Advent intentionally too… And share with me your experience to prepare room for the King of kings.