Hi everyone,
So here we are, just a week away from Christmas. And guess what? The kids are still in school! This is one of those anomaly years where Christmas Eve lands on a Sunday, meaning school doesn’t even let out until the day before the day before Christmas Eve (also known as Christmas Eve Eve Eve, or Christmas Eve3). This usually isn’t a problem, but it is weird that they’ll be going to school on the shortest day of the year, meaning it’ll be dark when we leave the house and maybe dark when we pick them up.
Even looking out the window now it seems dark. Granted, it is raining pretty hard right now, but it still leaves me with this uneasy feeling of gloom. And rain is like nature’s tears. It doesn’t make me feel happy at all.
I guess the good news is that after the 21st, the days will get longer, and we’ll welcome more light during drop off and pick up. The darkness is just temporary, and soon the light will break through and remind us that life isn’t all that bad (but it’ll probably still be wet out there, because rain forest). It is something to look forward to!
Here are the readings for next week:
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Luke 1:46b-55
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38
Here is an example of the light shining in the darkness (I know, you all saw it coming, but it’s getting dark out there and I want to get home). When life seems grim and gloomy, so drab and dark, so devoid of life, we are reminded that the the darkness shall not overcome the light, and the light brings life and love. This is the reason that Christmas was put in this time of year, to symbolize specifically that (sorry, southern hemisphere). It isn’t because Jesus was actually born at this time, but because the days get increasingly darker and darker until the darkest point and then things bounce back and we have light again.
As with the promise of Christmas. Life can seem dark and like we have no where to turn. But that darkness will be taken out by the light, and we will be filled with the grace promised by God, giving us faith and hope in believing that we will never be stuck in that darkness, and that we have a Saviour willing to pull us out.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am getting fed up with the dark. But there is joy in knowing that the light is coming, proclaiming the greatness and love of God (sorry again, southern hemisphere).
Have a great last week of Advent, everyone!