One week until Advent, the season of Messianic anticipation. A time to reflect, repent, and prepare. A time to invite Christ to give birth to hope, peace, joy, and love in our hearts.
Also a time to decorate our Christmas tree. A time to put up lights and ignite candles to pierce the darkness of the shortened days. A time to give gifts to and receive gifts from family and friends.
And for all of us, a time of loss revisited, of missing loved ones no longer with us. A time for some of loneliness. A time of both celebration and melancholy, of laughter and longing. A time for favourite Christmas movies. A time for indulging ourselves and for giving to the needy.
But I’m not ready. Not ready for Christmas hymns and carols. Not ready for decorating. Not ready for Advent candles and devotions. Not ready for the particular busyness of this season.
I never feel ready. I always feel behind, as if each year Advent and Christmas take me by surprise. As if there aren’t calendars in my home that clearly mark the date.
But Advent is about preparation, and acknowledges our lack of readiness. My lack of readiness. It will arrive no matter how ready I feel. And for this reason I pray:
“Lord, ready my heart. Grant that I would be open to the moving of Your presence during Advent. Help me to receive You. Help me to know you as my Emmanuel, as God with us. Amen.”
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
Published by Derek Melanson
Greetings!
The most important thing about me is not first and foremost about me. It’s about the person of Jesus. I receive my identity, my purpose, and my very breath and life from Jesus. Colossians 1:16 says it well. Speaking of Jesus, there the apostle Paul writes, “All things have been made through him and for him.” Who I am, I am because of who he is. And because through him I have been reconciled to God, I now live to orient my life around him. I don’t always do this very well. So I’m grateful for the good news of God’s forgiveness.
Since August 2002 I have been married to a beautiful, wonderful Christian woman. Because of her, my life has been much more of an adventure than it would otherwise have been. She’s loving, smart, funny, determined, and real. Being her husband is a privilege and a joy.
And our joy has multiplied. We have three children. One girl and twin boys. They’re fun, silly, energetic, smart, and exhausting. All unique individuals, they keep us on our toes. Thanks to them, our home is filled with a lot of laughter.
We also have two dogs: a 10-year old mixed poodle-terrier named Sneaker and a 1-year old yorkie named Izzy.
On top of all this, God has also called me to be a pastor. Our church is a small, rural church filled with loving, faithful people. Working with them to live out the good news of God is a great gift.
What else? Well, I happen to like the following things (in no particular order of favourites): playing guitar, writing (obviously!), reading (theology, classic fiction), a variety of movies and TV shows but especially those in the sci-fi/adventure/fantasy/super-hero genres, Dairy Queen Chocolate Extreme Blizzards, buffalo wings, salsa, Doc Martens, Grip6 belts, and Birkenstock sandals. I love my children’s laughter and my wife’s smile. And I love that God — in his abundant grace — allows me to enjoy any of these things.
There. Now you really know me.
I hope you enjoy and get something out of reading my blog. I’d love it if you made some comments on a post or two. Normally, I usually post several times a week. Though occasionally I can go as long as a week or more without doing so. Fear not! I will post again!
Peace,
Pastor Derek
View all posts by Derek Melanson
grace notes 