Fighting for Hope This Advent Season
“… Advent can be celebrated only by those whose souls give them no peace, who know that they are poor and incomplete, and who sense something of the greatness that is supposed to come, before which they can only bow in humble timidity, waiting until he inclines himself toward us – the Holy One himself, God in the child in the manger. God is coming; the Lord Jesus is coming; Christmas is coming. Rejoice…”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dec. 1, 1943, in a letter to his fiancée, Maria, while he was imprisoned in Nazi Germany (from God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas)
Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, and we celebrated the candle of Hope – first in “big church” and in children’s church with my sweet elementary kids’ class making homemade paper “hope” candles, and later our family lit a candle at home together last night after dinner. It’s been a long year, and hope and light seem in short supply but more needed than ever these days. Right? And I’m more aware than ever that we have to actively fight for hope and light in this dark world.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” (Dickens) in many ways seems fitting to describe 2020. This year is undoubtedly not the worst time in history (as Bonhoeffer’s situation reminds us), or in comparison of our current circumstances to those in many other places in the world… But a comparative “less hard” doesn’t diminish that the reality of one’s current circumstance. And hard, dark circumstances always illuminate our heart’s need for something more, which can only be found in Someone named Jesus – Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Emmanuel.
On one hand, my heart is full of joy and gratitude over the many blessings the Lord has given to us this year, and the many ways I can attest to the nearness of His presence and His faithfulness to carry our family through a difficult season in several specific ways. And yet, as I witness so many things happening in the world around us far beyond my control, I often find myself feeling weary and overwhelmed – and increasingly aware of my own lack of control and need for a Savior.
The farther along I get in my Christian walk with the Lord, the more deeply I realize that it’s less about anything I can attempt to do and more about complete surrender. My sin, my selfishness, my brokenness, my sadness, my disillusionment with the world around me, and the idols I too often chase after in search of hope… they all remind me of my great need for True Hope. As Bonhoeffer reminds us, it’s from this humble posture – in realization and admission of my insufficiency and great need compared to the Lord’s complete Sovereignty and all-sufficiency, more aware than ever of the darkness surrounding us – that I can fully begin to experience Advent as it is intended – waiting with full anticipation for Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Is there any more beautiful, hopeful phrase in all the world?
So, if you’re also feeling a bit weary, chaotic, overwhelmed, or like you just don’t have it all together, know that you’re in good company, and take hope that you’re in a perfect position to experience Advent more fully than ever before! Fighting for hope this Advent begins, as Bonhoeffer says, from a posture of “bow[ing] in humble timidity” as we wait for Christmas Day to celebrate a Savior who has already come over 2,000 years ago – and who is one day coming again to make all things new, to wipe every tear, to reign as King in a new Heaven and new earth (Revelation 21). As we choose to continually renew our focus back to Jesus’ promise fulfilled and the one yet to come, our only response is to rejoice with great Hope!
Here are a few practical ways our family is fighting for hope this Advent season:
1. Daily time in the Word, reflecting on God’s promises fulfilled and yet to come: My husband and I are reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Advent devotional God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas), along with a list of Bible readings from Isaiah from our church. The Bonhoeffer devotional is truly a breath of fresh air. I had wanted something new and timely this year, and I truly believe the Holy Spirit led me to it. It is exactly what my heart needed to hear at this time. I’m also reading through the She Reads Truth Advent 2020 plan with a group of ladies on Facebook (some are doing different plans, too) – message me if you’d like to join us.
2. Intentional family time in the Word: Like we’ve done for the past several years, we’re reading through the Jesus Storybook Bible Advent plan, beginning tomorrow (Dec. 1). I love it, because it walks through the Bible from creation in Genesis through Jesus’ birth, focusing throughout on how each story points to Jesus. I think I’ve learned just as much from this wonderful Bible as an adult, as my kids have. Since last year, we also hang daily Scripture cards from Crew & Co. that go along with the Bible stories as a visual reminder of the big idea. While we will aim for daily, I won’t be heartbroken or stop altogether when life happens and some days are skipped here and there. Also, trust me when I say these family devotion times are less than perfect. Our kids are as real as they come (and their parents are too), and things like sister fights, bad attitudes, and off-topic discussions are commonplace in our (attempted) times together in God’s Word. But the powerful questions when you thought they weren’t even listening and the beautiful “lightbulb” moments where the Spirit shines through make all the hard worth it. My best advice is to expect the enemy to try to sabotage any effort you are making to bring spiritual disciplines and traditions into your family, lower your own expectations, and press on to fight for it! And message me if you need encouragement/solidarity because your family/kids are perfectly imperfect like ours. ;)
3. Lighting Advent candles: Something new we’re doing this year is lighting an Advent candle each night before our family devotional time. Last night, I just used a candle we already had, but I’m going to buy five matching candles and a cheap wreath today to make a special display for our kitchen table. In addition to serving as a tangible reminder that Jesus is the “Light of the world,” I’m hoping the candles will bring an added sense of wonder and holiness to our nightly devotions. Last night the girls played rock, paper, scissors to settle a brief dispute over who got to light the candle first (bless), and we’ll take turns from there.
4. Advent activities planned by the whole family: In the past, I’ve chosen activities and questions to go with some of the stories. But this year, as our kids are a little older, I decided to try something new and am putting a different member of the family in charge of choosing an activity each night that goes along with the Bible story and leading our family in doing it. It could involve legos, acting out the story, singing a Christmas story, sharing a discussion question, doing kind deeds to help or bless someone else, etc. We have one child who is especially a “leader” (translation: incredibly strong willed), so I’m hopeful that this will give her some much-needed positive opportunities to lead and have more buy-in with our family devotions.
5. Making special ornaments: I’m working on a set of special ornament crafts that I want to make with the girls some afternoons and on Fridays when they’re out of school for virtual learning. These will go along with some of the Jesus Storybook Bible readings and will serve as symbols to remind us of God’s nature, His promises, and the Truths these stories represent. I’m still working on finishing up our idea list and plan to share it on the blog by tomorrow! Again though, the goal is intentional quality time over perfection. Last year, I had this same plan, and we only made one ornament. This year, we may make one more… or twelve! Either way, my goals of impressing God’s Word on our hearts spending time with my kids will be met. So, win-win!
6. This year, we also have a beautiful handmade Advent calendar that we will use to count down the days until Christmas! My precious friend and family member, Ginny, made it for us, and she chose tiny ornaments that represent the Christmas story and also each family member’s interests! It is truly so special to me, and I know we’ll treasure it forever!
How are you fighting for hope this Advent season?
What are some of your favorite Advent traditions, or new ones you plan to start this year?
Just remember that if your Advent feels perfectly imperfect, so was the first Christmas… and count it all joy, because you’re just that much closer to a humble posture of hopeful waiting in desperate need of God’s amazing grace!