It was a cold, crisp December morning as I ventured down the stairs to follow my weekly routine of watching Saturday morning cartoons. A commercial came on the air, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen…it was the Big Jim Sports Camper. It was the coolest toy ever! It included a boat, camping gear, and a bunch of manly accessories that a boy could only dream about. I swear that I heard angels singing when it came on the TV; and at the moment I knew, that is what I wanted most for Christmas.
As the weeks counted down, I was consumed with the wait and anticipation of receiving this most desired gift. I couldn’t focus on anything else, not school, chores, or even God. I missed the true meaning of Advent because I was so consumed with my need for that toy. Then on Christmas Eve as we were opening our presents, I did not see any large boxes for me. I remember receiving a ton of clothes, but not what my heart desired. I was in tears as we finished our presents. But then, my mom suddenly appeared with a very large present, and it was for me! (Apparently, Santa left it in another room, unbeknownst to everyone else.) I broke into tears again, but these were tears of joy as I unwrapped the most awesome gift ever. I thought, good things must really come to those who wait.
This story reminds us of what Advent is all about and what it’s not about. Advent calls us to be alert and ready, not to be weighed down and distracted by the cares of this world. Advent stresses hope and joy and emphasizes what we need to add to our lives – the deepening of our relationship with God. When we become consumed with our wants, needs, and desires for earthly possessions and all the things that we need to do at this time of the year, we lose sight of the core message of Advent – to look inward and to see how we can draw ourselves closer to God.
These next four weeks should help us to prepare to celebrate Christmas, to meditate, contemplate and try to understand the incredible fact that God became human because of his love for each and every one of us.
May we find the time to slow down in these frantic weeks that follow and say “no” to the things that distract us from Jesus (like what we want and what we think we need) – and say “yes” to the gift that God wants us to experience.
Jesus is coming and Jesus is here now – and he is always present in our world and in our lives; and that is the best gift ever!
