Wonders of His Love: Family Devotions and Activities for Advent

by Amy Welborn

It’s time to get ready! Christmas is coming in just a few weeks, and so of course, we want to be ready for the celebration. How should we start?

Advent—this time of getting ready for Christmas—is just like that. It’s a time to get our hearts ready for Jesus coming to us. Thinking about the ways we prepare for the big and small moments of ordinary life and applying them to this season of Advent might help us dig deeper and find more joy as we journey, prepare and get ready—together!

At Christmas, we’ll welcome him with even more of ourselves, our hearts yearning for his love in a deeper way. So let’s all stretch, shake off the night, put aside yesterday’s busy confusion, open our eyes and get ready. Jesus is coming!

Being ready for important moments, big and small, means honestly admitting the ways that, well, we’re not ready. Jesus wants to come into my life in a deeper way at Christmas. Am I open to him? Do I trust him?

During these weeks, we’re preparing for Jesus by thinking about giving. We’re giving gifts to our friends and our family members. And, hopefully, we’re giving and sharing with those in need. Jesus works through our gifts and sharing to bring light and life to others. The example of St. Nicholas helps us see how to give in the right spirit—keeping the focus on Jesus’ love instead of on ourselves.

During Advent, ask yourself and your family members, “Are we preparing? Or are we planning?” Aren’t they the same thing? No, not really. When we plan, we’re more in control. We make a schedule. We’ve got a strong idea of what should happen. But preparing is different. Preparing is being ready, yes, but when we prepare, we understand that what we think should happen might not be the best way—we’re ready for anything!

Preparing our hearts for Jesus isn’t about telling him what we expect or want him to do. It means that we are opening our hearts, trusting him, remembering the great surprise of God dwelling with us as a child. It means being ready for whatever powerful, wonderful and amazing thing that Jesus has in store for us—right now!

Let’s listen to Jesus. For whom did he come? Who is he here to gather up? Everyone! When we think about Jesus, born a baby in Bethlehem, we know that all sorts of people came to see him and rejoice. He came for all people. Those arms are outstretched for you, no matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done. With Jesus, no one is left out.

There’s something about music that helps us praise God, isn’t there? Music involves more of ourselves than just words or thoughts do. When we sing or play music—or even if we just listen to music—it’s almost as if we’re in tune with a greater melody that plays all day and all night, a beautiful melody of God’s love.

John helps us to prepare our lives for Jesus. We listen to him and look at our lives. Are we selfish and proud? Do we think we know everything? Do we have bad habits? John calls us to let God’s mercy change us. He points the way to Jesus. During this season, not all of the messages about Christmas are actually about Jesus, are they? John’s a prophet doing his job. He keeps us on track. He points us to the truth, to Jesus—who is coming soon!

Finding the answer and really preparing in a way that is faithful to Jesus starts with one thing—humility. When we are humble, we admit that we are only human beings. We can all learn from each other. Most of all, we can—and must—learn from the Lord.

Pray Lord, help me change and grow during this season. May I be confident like Joseph, listening to you and letting you make me strong.

I may not venture far from home, but every day, I set out on a kind of adventure, don’t I? I may not travel the distances that the Magi did, but I will travel from one place to the next, meeting new people. I will be challenged to be wise and loving—whether it is in class, at work, at home or with my friends. There’s a star leading me—that star is Jesus. Will I follow?

We have prepared so much for Christmas, for celebrating our savior. How wonderful it is to know that we have done our best. But that we can still be open to the way that Jesus will come to us, be open to the one who loves us, not because of how hard we try, but because we simply belong to him.

Some people like to prepare for an event by working with others as part of a team. Others do much better when they do the job by themselves. Some of us like to tell everyone what happened and remember things together. Others prefer to think things over quietly by themselves. How we act often depends on who we are and on the job God wants us to do in that moment.

Lord, help me know when to use words and actions to share, and when to stay in quiet prayer.

But it’s not too late. It’s just the right time and place. Jesus is coming, whether we feel ready and no matter how satisfied we are with our preparations. He’s coming no matter what. He’s coming so that we can be at peace with where we are, with what we’ve done and, most importantly, with who we are.

In Jesus’ time, shepherds were outsiders. That doesn’t just mean that they worked outside. It means that because of the work they did—outside, on the Sabbath when they had to, with animals that were often sick and dying—they were outsiders to the community. They just couldn’t obey God’s law in the most perfect, complete way. But who got the first news about the Messiah’s birth? Shepherds!