Advent: A Time to Prepare

I fell in love with this statue at the parish where
where my niece made her Confirmation last weekend.

As I pondered this morning how God is asking me to prepare my heart this Advent, it occurred to me that, had my pregnancy earlier this year gone well, I would have been expecting a baby in just over a month.
How would I have prepared for the arrival of that baby?  Where would we have made room in our busy lives for a new life? 

Perhaps the ache that has been tugging on my heart, asking me to remember the little one I had hoped to welcome into my arms, can be an impetus to instead help me remember the One who one day will, hopefully, welcome me into His.

The joy of new life! The JOY of the Lord!

I definitely nest when I am expecting a new baby.  I like to have everything clean and organized, knowing our energies after the baby's arrival will be rightfully directed toward welcoming the new baby and resting.  I don't think the house ever got as clean as I hoped it would before I had Nicholas, but I tried, and in the end the best I could do certainly was good enough.

What occurred to me this morning was that, when I am cleaning in preparation for a new baby, it feels different than when I am cleaning on a regular week.  My house may be messy for the same reasons, but in my heart I am not merely going through the motions so the house can get messy again.  I am earnestly working in preparation for someone whose arrival will change my life forever.  There is anticipation.  There is excitement.  There is joy.

Such a beautiful church.  I loved how Mary and St. John (I am guessing)
look up at Jesus on the cross.  I felt transported to Calvary.

I know my efforts should always be done out of love and as a gift to my family and to God, and on a certain level, they are.  But it's easier to keep that in mind, and to really feel it, when you are expecting a baby.

This Advent, we all should be anticipating the birth of a Baby -- of Jesus -- Who truly wants to be born into our hearts and lives in a tangible way this Christmas.

This Advent, why don't we try to bring that same earnestness, anticipation, and joy, into our preparations to welcome Christ?  Look at that empty cradle in your manger, and picture a real baby arriving soon.  When Christmas arrives, most of us won't need to slow down to recover from childbirth, but we likely do want to be able to slow down to enjoy time with people we love.

It always makes me happy to see Our lady of Guadalupe.
Did I ever mention I prayed a novena to her, just before
getting pregnant with Nicholas?  And my parents'
anniversary is on her feast day.

As I look forward to the sporting events and practices, music lessons, gift wrapping, homework, volunteer commitments, and everything else that needs to be accomplished over the next few weeks, it is so easy to feel overwhelmed, like a vise is tightening on my heart and I can't quite catch my breath.

But if I look at these things as gift, as opportunities to offer small sacrifices, and to pour love into my family -- to help prepare their hearts as well for the Love that is to come -- a different feeling settles on my heart.

I long for quiet to hear His voice, to help me on the path He desires for me this Advent.  I am excited to see the ways in which He might touch our hearts, and show us His love.  I am eager to do the work necessary, because I trust He will come, and I want our hearts and home to be ready.

This is a statue of St. Isaac Jogues.

I try to get my Christmas shopping done early, not only to help myself get organized and formulate a budget, but because I know how distracted I can get from the constant barrage of emails about sales, and promises of the Best Deal Ever (!).  Even when I think I am done, I find myself drawn in by the lure of a company's sales pitch, browsing through their online catalogue, wondering if I should pick up this or that item while it is at such a good price.  I guess that is a part of my "job" -- to look at what we need, and at birthdays and things ahead, and to try to get things we will purchase anyway at a good price.  It gets frustrating though, when I realize that whether I do or do not buy an item, looking into things online always sucks up more time than I'd expected.  Also, I don't think either decision (to buy or not to buy) has ever truly changed my life.

Not the way Jesus can, if I waste time with Him.

Nicholas and his cousin.  They are just less than nine months apart in age,
and it is fun to see them beginning to interact.
Nicholas certainly considers her one of his best friends!

When you are going to have a baby, you can't always imagine how you will fit in all of the time a baby needs -- but when the baby arrives, grace does to, and somehow everything that needs to, gets done.

Similarly, if we set aside time for God this Advent, everything else will somehow get done.  At least everything that matters.  We need Him to pour His love, and grace, and healing into our hearts.  If we make time to listen for His voice, new life can -- and will -- spring forth.

Let us welcome this Christmas with Jesus in our hearts.  Let us not turn Him away, saying there is no room at the inn.   Let us listen for His knock -- for He will knock this Advent -- and let us eagerly be waiting, ready to open the door.