With the advent of Christmas, we rejoice in good things to come. School children make red and green paper chains, counting down the days; grown-ups circle special events in their planners. Everyone seems to enjoy looking forward. Not knowing what lies behind the unopened door of an advent calendar brings a thrill of excitement that is so much a part of Christmas.
Looking forward with hope has defined Christmas since the beginning. Imagine how long wise men looked to the heavens before they saw that bright new star. Consider how shepherds may have waited for news of the Messiah before the angels announced His birth. Think of how Mary must have anticipated the birth of the babe as she journeyed to Bethlehem. Each year as we look back to those transcendent events, we also look forward to the hope, joy, and peace we now call Christmas.
Our joy is enlarged as we look back to times of great anticipation in our own lives. We remember how much we used to look forward, as children, lying awake in our beds wondering what Christmas morning would bring. Each year that sense of joyful expectation is renewed as we look at photographs of twinkling eyes beneath twinkling lights and feel the excitement all over again.
Christmas is marked by a spirit of anticipation, of preparation, of longing for good things to come. In our thoughts we go to Bethlehem, and as we do, we nurture our belief that good will triumph and love will prevail. We find ourselves believing in more than Christmas-day surprises. We feel the love of God, and with that love, we anticipate all good things to come.
Program #4031