Expecting the Child
Expectation is at the heart of Advent. And as the days fly by in December that expectation begins to swell. As a child, these days between Thanksgiving and Christmas were torturous; it was as if the entire world slowed down during the month of December. For me, the advent calendars did not help—They only served to increase my anticipation of the big day.
Now, as an adult these days have a sweetness to them. There are the fond memories of Christmases past, but there is also a renewed awe of what we’re expecting. Christmas, after all, is all about the savior of the world coming to reside among us, and it’s an awesome thought. If we haven’t done so already, we should set aside time to reflect on how this event has changed our lives and how we can then bring that excitement to others.
There’s just a few more weeks before the big day, and while you look forward to Christmas, here are a few more resources to help you embrace the spirit of Advent. One special ministry we’d like to point you towards is Volunteer.gospel.com—it’s a repository of volunteer opportunities. You can search the available opportunities by zip code or just browse their database for a long or short term opportunity that sounds interesting. We’re all called to serve others, and this time of year often has the greatest needs.
Want to brush up on some Bible verses about Advent? Into Thy Word has a collection of advent Bible verses that you can reflect on as you wait for the big day. They also have an article about living the Christmas Spirit all year long.
And for those questions you’ve always had about Islam, but didn’t know whom to ask, there is Arab World Ministries. For Christmas they have two pertinent articles, one on what Christmas means to Muslims? and another on celebrating Christmas by the Nile.
From Luke 2:14:
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests