As I
mentioned in my previous post, this advent season I am using the Bible Society
Advent Challenge to try and prepare myself for Christmas.
How is
it going? Not great!
The
first few challenges were fairly simple, and the fact you have a choice of three
options meant that I could pick something I knew I could do.
But
then I was busy over the weekend. I forgot to check the challenge for a few
days, and so I felt I ought to try and complete my missed days all at once.
That didn't happen. For one thing, I forgot to make a list of what I had chosen to
do, never mind finding an opportunity to complete it.
But
what impact has the challenge made on my advent so far?
Well,
many of the tasks have been something I would do naturally (e.g. only fill the
kettle with the water you need, hold the door open for someone) but others
require me to search for the opportunity to complete them or more planning to
execute.
The
challenge is making me think about what I’m doing on a daily basis.
But is
it preparing me for Christmas? Is it making me more aware of the advent season?
No.
Not by itself.
Anyone
can sign up to this sort of challenge at any time of the year. The challenge in
and of itself is not changing my view of advent.
What
is working is that I am aware of the season and that it should mean something.
By taking the challenge and wanting it to mean something, I am more aware in my
daily life that advent isn't just about opening a calendar door and eating some
chocolate. There is something coming; a special day when everything changed. A
day when we remember God came down to make us right with him and show us how
much he loved us.
While
I may not be great at completing my daily advent challenge, my bigger advent
challenge, to prepare for Christmas, is going much better. It may still be
early days, but by seeking to make Advent mean something, I can prepare myself.
On
Sunday in church, we read from Isaiah about the one come to prepare the way for
the coming of the Messiah.
Listen! It’s the voice
of someone shouting,
“Clear the way
through the wilderness
for the Lord!
Make a straight
highway through the wasteland
for our God!
Fill in the
valleys,
and level the
mountains and hills.
Straighten the
curves,
and smooth out
the rough places.
Then the glory of
the Lord will be revealed,
and all people
will see it together.
The Lord has
spoken!
(Isaiah 40:3-5, NLT)
Advent
is the time to do this in our hearts; prepare ourselves for Him.
Did
you sign up to any of the Advent challenges? How are you finding it? Do you
feel you are preparing for the coming of Christ into our world?
