In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to Him, and the land where He lives will be a glorious place.     Isaiah 11:10

My husband’s office is in our spare bedroom, and the majority of his work is done over the phone. So when my kids have friends over, I send them to the basement or outside to play. That way my husband’s clients don’t hear shrieking kids in the background. But on those rare days when he’s traveling, I let the kids have the run of the house, upstairs and down.

The usual game they choose is Hide ‘n Seek. As the Seeker counts to twenty, off the other kids go to hide in bedrooms and closets, hoping not to be found. Then the Seeker says, “Ready or not, here I come!”

It all reminds me of Advent.

Despite the distractions of decorations to be put up and gifts to be bought, Christmas is coming, “ready or not.”

Christmas is the reminder that God has given us the greatest gift ever, His Son. But God also gifts us with free will. That free will let’s us decide whether we’re going to be the Hider or the Seeker each Advent.

If we choose to be the Hider, we’ll be like my kids: stepping into dark closets and closing the door. Our closets are inner spaces: places created in our heads by long, impossible lists of things to do, and buy, and bake. When this is all we focus on, stress comes and slams the door, hiding us from the true meaning of Christmas.

However, if we choose to be the Seeker, everything shifts. When we live these days of Advent from a stance of searching, putting our focus on the finding, we find Him everywhere: in the holy glow of Christmas lights casting out the dark, in the gifts bought with thoughtfulness and care, and in the holiday decorations placed with excitement and joy. Being a Seeker is the only way to replace the stress of the season with anticipation for The Reason.

Best of all, when we find Him everywhere, we also find Him within ourselves. That’s when we BECOME the glow that casts out the dark, and a gift to others. Then, like Isaiah 11:10 says, the land of our hearts, where He lives, becomes a glorious place.

Happy Advent everyone!!!

Questions For Reflection:

     * Am I approaching Advent with stress, or with anticipation?

     * Am I being a Hider or a Seeker?

     * If I do look for Him, where do I find Him?

Wonderful books to inspire us, and our kids, to be Seekers this Advent season:

“Wise men are only wise because they make their priority the seeking of Christ.”

by Ann Voskamp

* The code for these books contain Amazon Affiliate links.