In all my 64 years of life I have never had such a God-focused Advent and I am grateful for the grace, because that is what it is – GRACE.
God has always been in my sight, even from early childhood. I always knew I needed Him. The reasons for needing Him have shifted from a need for freedom from fear in my early years to simply longing for more closeness with Him today.
Year after year, I started Advent with the goal of making it more about God, and year after year, I fell down. The busyness and the stress, in addition to the fun of it all, took too much of my focus off of God.
This craziness of 2020 has brought many blessings, especially this Advent. For the first time, I am not busy with the normal things this season can bring for women. Life is quieter, calmer, and God is using this time to bring me closer to Him. Thank you God!
I need to focus on the light
Let’s face it, this has been a tumultuous year. Anyone reading this blog knows what the reasons for all the turmoil are. Satan is roaring and seems to be winning. Anyone with any spiritual radar can see the darkness and it is disturbed by it. We worry about our country, our world, the babies being slaughtered in the womb, and our family and friends who are confused and lost.
Many in my close circle are sending me videos with dark prophesies, calling for intense prayer and fasting. Much of the focus is to overturn the election and the possibility of impending disaster.
I respect that. The stakes are high.
But after all of the upheaval of this year, what I need, what God is clearly calling me to this Advent, is to focus on the hope and to search for the light in the darkness. When I start to worry about the outcome of the Georgia run-off election, or someone sends me yet another video from a faithful priest or Bishop with a dark prophesy, I feel called to picture the star of Bethlehem and the Holy Family on Christmas morning and that sweet radiant child. This calms me, gives me hope and Christmas joy.
Whatever path you are on this Advent, my friends, I pray that God is guiding you, and that you are filled with peace, hope, and joy.
After all, we know the end of the story.