As He Prepares For Us, So Should We
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“We are God’s creation. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good works. Long ago God prepared these works for us to do.” -- Ephesians 2:10 (NIRV)
I have attended church all my forty-some years, but the first twenty or so, I spent having no real clue what Advent was. It’s embarrassing to admit, but it wasn’t until I had my own kids that I sought to understand the Advent season. As Christians, this is when we reflect and prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ—both for His birth celebration (Christmas) but also for His triumphant return in the future.
Every year when my children were young, we did some kind of Advent calendar. Some were elaborate with prizes and excursions to do as a family while we read verses about the coming Savior’s miraculous birth. Some were the simple with Santas and chocolate, which wasn’t exactly preparing our hearts but rather our bellies.
Lately, with my now college and high school-aged children, the coming holidays feel different. I can’t wait for my daughter to be home from college for a month and for my son to be off school so we can all sleep in later and spend time together. I’m less worried about presents and the house looking right for guests. I’m more focused on the who's, not the whats, whens, and wheres.
And I’ve been looking for interesting Advent calendars. Yes, randomly searching for unique ones my older kids may enjoy and therefore, spend time with my husband and me. I’ve almost bought a few too. On another note, I’ve been in a puzzle mood. I have never been a jigsaw puzzle fan, but I find myself looking for some beginner ones, those with less than 1,000 pieces. I’ve been hoping to discover one to bring on an upcoming family trip, again, as a way to coerce—I mean provide—an activity which will bring the family together.
And near the end of November, just in time, I stumbled upon an Advent Nativity puzzle calendar! Literally, two things I desired combined that will accomplish us, as a family, preparing for Jesus and enjoying one another.
See, God knew exactly what I was looking for. He had already prepared for me to find this gem of an Advent calendar. Isn’t that beautiful? As we prepare for Him, He is preparing for us!
And He always is. What a loving Father. What a comfort to know He pays attention to every little detail in our lives. While not a traditional Advent verse, I’m reminded of Ephesians 2:10 above. There’s a lot to unpack there, but I love how it illustrates God has, is, and will always be preparing for us.
Questions for Reflection:
1. What evidence have you seen of this in your life?
2. What are you doing this Advent season to prepare for Him, in celebrating His birthday and His second coming?
