A Pep Talk for Advent-Observing Failures Like Me

How do you still your soul for advent when your everyday life is jam-packed with good things? That’s not rhetorical. I’m asking, as one who needs to figure this out because each year I feel the tension between my responsibilities as a mother of a large family and my ideals of reading in front of a quiet fire for an hour daily during advent, know what I mean? You see, when it comes to advent observance, I tend to be a failure.
Tired mamas all around me are just trying to keep up and sometimes that’s hard with babies and deadlines, even if the deadline is just dinner.
In our home, the end of November propels us into December like a rollercoaster, with Thanksgiving and three birthdays to celebrate in less than a week and a half. For those of you who can’t read between the lines, that’s a lot of cooking, shopping, baking, and preparation for this “mother of the house.”
By the time I realize it’s December, I’m three days into it already.
My heart (and body) wants to be still, but I find it hard to catch snatches of time. Can anyone else out there relate?
For years, I’ve fought against busyness, but the truth is that we women have a lot to juggle. Work, life, children, husbands, extended family. There are many hearts to tend, stories to hear, lives to pour into, and schedules to keep.
We want to do it well, and we love the fact that we are so fortunate to have so many people to love, but it all takes time.
And then Christmas comes to town. Are we merry yet?
Christmas takes planning when you have a large family, and that’s a fact. Even when you simplify the gift giving process, shopping takes time, errands take time, and wrapping and decorating takes time. And then the kids have to eat every day, three meals a day, know what I mean?
I joked with a friend that this is why I rarely blog, and it’s kind of true. It takes time to sit and process enough to write and have something to say, and today feels like one of those days when I just want to sit with you as friends and tell you that I don’t have all the answers, but I think that when your life is full, you can “be still” in heart even when your body is in constant movement and your mind it too tired to process or read another book and you fail to observe advent in any kind of meaningful way.
A friend asked what resources I’d recommend for advent readings, and I had no answers for her this year. Nada. And you want to know why? You guys, I just want ten minutes with my Bible.
I need/crave/hafta-have God’s Word–direct contact with it/in pure form/not related by a third party–to remind myself of Truth that doesn’t need to be discerned or sifted, especially during the Christmas season as marketers work overtime to convince us that materialism will bring joy and that covetousness is okay. I need the washing of the Word to remind me where true satisfaction comes from.
“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.”
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.”
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
I long to sit and stare at my Christmas tree, yes, and to have long stretches where I can read and study at my leisure, and someday when my house is empty, maybe I will.
But with all the talk of advent, I’m not beating myself up because I was out all day and at the end of the day I loved the people around me the best I could. “She did what she could.”
Today, I’m noticing and savoring small moments where I see God’s grace around me: a friend to hug and be present with when they need me most, a cup of tea with my daughter, talks with my youngest about plans and dreams and boys, sticky hugs from my toddler, and cooking dinner with Peter while listening to old sappy love songs.
Advent is about expectancy and attitude. It’s about anticipating hope, and remembering our Redeemer, Christ the Lord. Advent for me might not include hours of solitude on my couch in front of a fire. But it should include daily thankfulness for the life that is now and the people that are here and the love that is real in the perpetual motion of everyday life.
When your life is anything but still or static, look for these glimmers of God’s goodness to shine through in your moments. And as you whisper your thankfulness to God, you’ll find that God is with you– our Emmanuel–your Emmanuel–our God who is present and with us in the midst of our very lives today.
Oh Sarah I relate I relate! This is exactly -EXACTLY- where I was at today and so needed to read this. Oh how much I desire to have coffee with you one day. I have such fellowship with you reading your blogs. And I’ve told you this before- but if you blogged any faster none of us would be able to keep up with you in our crazy lives either!
Friend, I’d love to have coffee someday. Yes, our lives are so full, WHO CAN EVEN KEEP UP? HAHA. I’m so glad you are here, and thanks for the grace to just be silent when I need to be. I feel guilt over not being “consistent” with blogging, but I’m back to toddler-land again, and the mix of teens and toddlers is a full time job! 😉