December is flying by and Advent is upon us. Many families mark the advent season with a chocolate calendar or special countdown.
This year at our house, we decided to do something different and have been working our way through The Wonder of the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp. Each day, my daughter Annabella eagerly awaits our evening reading time. She gets to open up a new square that contains a tiny ornament with a picture correlating to a Bible passage. These stories retell portions of God’s redemptive plan and point us to the coming King, which is the greatest gift of all.
As I reflect on this new practice, I am struck by the simplicity of the message, yet the powerful impact it is having on my daughter. It reminds me of Matthew 18, where Jesus shares that we must have faith like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. The gospel truths are so simple to understand, while containing so much depth that we can easily lose the essence of what is being conveyed.
We can also get caught up in the distractions around us, causing us to miss the message. How many times do we get so busy between parties, shopping, concerts, and more in the weeks leading up to Christmas that we fail to take time to ponder what the season is all about? One of the reasons that children can so easily connect to the gospel message is that their sense of amazement has not been dulled. When they are in awe about a particular thing, their focus is unparalleled. God’s Word should still ignite wonder and awaken curiosity within us. It should call us out of our distractions and back to the splendor of His majesty.
My prayer is that God helps us to rediscover the gift of His presence during this advent season. In Him, we uncover that He is the Prince of Peace, God with us, our Hope, our Advocate, our Deliverer, our Redeemer, the Truth, and the Light of the World.
J-D Lussier is Principal at Trinity Christian School in Burlington, Ontario.