Wait : an Advent of the Familiar

by Lisa Lewton

This Advent devotional is meant for you if you have discovered it is impossible to arrive at your best self and stay there, particularly around the holidays. Stress and fatigue bring out your more anxious and irritable self. Amid the joy of the season, you may grow weary beneath the burden of gift-giving, the dread of the January credit card bill, and friction in your family. For four weeks, what if you prepare for the birth of Christ in a new way?Instead of wishing for a less stressful holiday, what if you see the gift in this imperfect life you are given?If you hope for that annoying relative to be less annoying this year, stop and wonder what exactly makes you so annoyed.What if you take your eyes off the stresses and wait for Christmas with less irritability and more curiosity?In the church, the four weeks leading to Christmas are set apart as the liturgical season of Advent. “Set apart” is the definition of the word “holy.”What might happen if you approach the weeks leading to Christmas as holy time instead of hustle time?

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2024

Reviews

[Audrey Marcusen McMacken]

Christmas (Advent) in July.