Marana Tha

While the rest of the world wakes up at 4 a.m. (or even earlier) to take advantage of Black Friday sales, our family chose to make this day our Christmas Decorating Day. Now I say, our family, but it was pretty much my idea. All the boxes are brought down from the attic and systematically opened. Fragile things covered in newspaper are unwrapped and set in their traditional location. The artificial tree is put together and froofed. Then the lights and disco tree topper are put on, then the garlands and beads, the gold glitter swirly sticks and fake candy garland, then the ornaments. It's the prettiest tree in the world. Your brother changes out the plain ginormous pine cones for white "snow" covered ones (his favorite job). The manger is put together. Pictures are hung on the wall. Music is played. The Christmas movies are placed next to the TV. Felt ornaments are stuck into the pockets of the Advent calendar. Greens, lights and bows are hung outside. Bells are put on the door knobs. Christmas potholders and towels are put in the drawers. The Christmas village is carefully unwrapped and set in place S-A-N-T-A letters are put on the window sill (waiting for someone to switch them around so they jokingly say S-A-T-A-N). The stockings are hung by the fireplace and mistletoe is hung at the threshold in the kitchen where I steal a kiss. Honestly, the first thing Daddy and Anton looked for this year was the mistletoe. We might put on Elf or Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas while the decorating is done. It's an exhausting process, but fun also. I can't help but smile as I unwrap memory after memory.

But all this is preparation for celebrating the greatest gift of all. With Advent starting Sunday, we begin to focus our minds, not on Santa and reindeer, but on Christ as a newborn babe. Each week is given a meaning leading up to Christmas: hope, peace, joy and love. Taking time over these next four weeks to center on the Christ of Christmas is necessarily in this culture that tries to steer us away from Him and on the commercialism. Make plans this season, and every Advent of your marriage, to find ways to keep your eyes on Christ. An advent devotional, wreath or calendar can be a daily/weekly reminder of what is most important over this season. Advent means a dawn, birth or arrival. We see all three in the Word made flesh. The birth of a Savior, the arrival of a King, the dawn of a world about to be freed from sin.

This is Black Friday (businesses in the black making profits verses working in red or loss). But there is a black Friday ahead we call Good Friday that is the true reason for the season: a Tiny King born to die for us all. Praise our Father for this Redeemer. We sing with the angels, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14

Have fun decorating this and every Advent! Marana tha (Lord, come).

Discussion: How do you feel about decorating? What is your favorite part of decorating? What do you like to do during Advent to prepare to celebrate Christ's birth?

Prayer: Lord, how grateful we are for the birth of Christ and the four weeks of hope, peace, joy and love during Advent to prepare our hearts for that celebration. We give you all glory and honor, Lord, and hope for your soon returning. In Jesus' name, Amen.