I love Advent. Personally, it always serves as a bit of a spiritual reset. Church calendars are good in that they can pace your walk with Christ, giving you pause to reflect on themes.
Advent, of course, is about anticipation and waiting. Our family, more than most years (with some exception), is experiencing quite a bit of anticipation this year. Lots of questions come out around the dinner table. What will it be like to be a family of five? What does it mean to be big sisters? Will Mommy and Papi still give us attention (and the variation question, what do we say to the “jealousy monster” when it rears its ugly face)?
We hung an Advent calendar in the dinning room next to the wreathe. It’s a homespun project, given to us by my parents and made, I believe, by my childhood church family. The routine is set. The girls switch between hanging an ornament and snuffing out the candle on each given day.
This year we started a new devotional book. At the end of each day there’s a set of questions for the family to answer. On Sunday, the girls made me and Renee cry. Here’s why.
Girls, what is the best gift you were EVER given?
Kelly, without any hesitation, blurted out:
You guys.
Monica sagely nodded her head up and down and said,
Uh huh. That’s what I was going to say.
Wow.