As we keep securing
loose ends here in Kenya and preparing to head stateside for an extended
furlough, the Christmas season finds us waiting - waiting on official documents,
waiting for work to be completed on the Resource Center, waiting to travel…
Waiting in
the midst of transition feels awkward. Do we decorate a tree when our home is basically
packed, and the living room hosts more boxes than furniture? Do we participate
in gift exchanges when we’ll just need to package up whatever we give or
receive? The “normal” activities surrounding Christmas are not normal anymore,
especially when community around us doesn’t traditionally celebrate the way we
expected to this year. To sum it up - we didn’t plan to be here now. We need to
rethink Advent.
Advent
means the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. The Advent of Christmas is supposed to
prepare us for meaningful commemoration of Christ’s birth. Giving gifts, decorating,
eating special foods and being in the midst of family helps set the season apart,
but they cannot be essential elements. Life’s many twists and turns force us to
find Advent’s meaning without aesthetic props.
This unexpected Advent
changes us. In the waiting for what we want, I see waiting’s power - its
ability to destroy hope or build anticipation, its capacity to tempt worry or
create childlike wonder. In the midst of disappointment, can we let
our hearts become inflamed with Advent's joy? The choice is made by what we yearn
for most.
This year, we’ll hang
twinkling lights over our packed boxes and make paper snowflakes to hang in the
African sun. We’ll play games with orphaned children and cook sweets with
widowed mamas. Together, during this unexpected Advent we will eagerly
wait for His Arrival …
The Birth
of the Savior.
The Appearance
of Eternal Life.
The Emergence
of Redemption.
The Dawn
of Liberation.
The Rise
of Love’s Kingdom.
The Approach
of Justice.
The Coming
of the King.
Asante sana for your prayers, support and encouragement.
hugs from the haugers Ooo0o
