2020 Was Made for Advent

Does it sometimes feel like you are standing in two separate realities? On the one hand, you are basking in the frivolity and thrill of twinkle lights and sugary treats. And then in the other... the countdown calendar demands you to be a sensible, don't-get-caught-up-in-the-hype person. 

I imagine Abraham often felt the same. Not about twinkle lights or the countdown calendar, but between the promise of God and his reality. 

Abraham was seventy-five when God spoke this directive with a promise, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you, I will curse, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed." *Gen 12:1-3 ESV

He obeyed, though I imagine he went with fear and trepidation: unfamiliar territory, unknown enemies, and an uncertain future. All that uncertainty sounds a lot like this year!

Abram and Sarai (later Abraham and Sarah) set out along with his nephew Lot and developed a place to settle, grow and expand. They prospered in their new land, and had much to celebrate as they experienced parts of the promises God had foretold. Yet, a piece of God's blessing was still void- Abram had no son. How could he be a great nation without a single offspring? 

Abram reencounters God's Presence. This time after Abram and Sarai try to provide their own human solution to this missing blessing through a maidservant, creating centuries of heartache and war. 

And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir." And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you can number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.* Gen 15:4-6 ESV

Abram took the Lord at His word. Even when there were places in his life that were void with longing, he believed. And though he walked with doubt, hurt, and grief- he held out hope for the celebration of life that was to come. 

This is the tension of this sacred season, especially in 2020. 

On the one hand, we have the joy and celebration of Christmas, yet we are surrounded by pain, disbelief, and (seemingly) unanswered prayers.

This is why God gives us the rhythm of Advent. 

Advent is the season to prepare your heart to celebrate the Savior's birth. It's your permission to acknowledge your pain, your disbelief, and your (seemingly) unanswered prayers, BUT in light of the life and celebration that is to come. 

Do you know why the tradition of Advent has believers read through the entirety of Christ’s human lineage? 

Because from Adam to Mary, the theme of each story is filled with unique seasons of longing. Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, the Prophets, the Kings, and so many others in God’s stories for us. 

I believe their journeys, their struggles, their stories were preserved because their longing was also their place of encounter with God.  

Advent is your reminder to make space to bring your longing, grief, and burdens to the Lord in light of the hope you have in Emmanuel, God with us. This is the season to remember you are not alone, even if celebration feels elusive. Consider this your invitation to encounter Christ as you wait with your sorrows and burdens. 

Take these next few weeks to explore the stories of Advent or even the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. Soak in the highs and lows without fear of missing out on the joy of the season, knowing your true source of Hope is walking alongside you. 

Lord, I surrender my disappointments of 2020 at your feet, not to push them away, but to acknowledge them in the Presence of your Love. Would you bring healing to those places where things aren't right? Help me to walk in the promises that you will never leave or forsake me when I put my trust in you. I want to celebrate all the ways You've walked with me, whether it's in a season of longing or abundance.