Advent

I'm speaking to my girls at village tonight. We are focusing on Advent. I don't know too much about Advent except the fact that it's the month before Christmas and it is a season of anticipation and longing. I've never really celebrated Advent, but it's a good way to keep your focus on the right things at Christmas such as Christ.

Last week, we talked about waiting on things to happen. We discussed how we need to not get too caught up in what's to come if it means missing out on things happening today. For example, when we were a kid, we couldn't wait to be a grown up. Now, we wish we could go back to those carefree days at times. I, being the only married girl in our group, told them how much I love being married. Yet, I cannot go back to those single days again. There are certain things that they can do at this time in their lives that I cannot because I have another person to consider (you parents REALLY know what that is like).

Tonight, I'm going to talk about whenever the Lord does answer your prayers but not in the way in which you expected. The Israelites believed that Jesus was going to come into this world and be a mighty king and warrior. That's not the way He did things. In fact, He did it so differently than some expected that many didn't even believe He was the Messiah. How many times in our own personal lives does the Lord do things differently than we expected Him to? Some times it is even so different that we don't recognize it as an answer to our prayer. Usually, we can look back and see why the Lord did it His way and not ours. After all, He's God and sees the big picture. We are so human and can only see our own little world.

Tell me your thoughts on Advent...