Christy Bass Adams is married and has two sons. She serves as the Outreach and Connections Coordinator at Fellowship Baptist Church in Madison, Florida and writes a weekly inspirational column in Greene Publishing entitled, Learning As I Go. When she isn’t reading or writing, you can find her tinkering in the woodshop, wetting a line in the river, or sitting by the fire. For more inspiration from Christy, visit her blog at christybassadams.com.
When I was a kid, families signed up each week of December to light the Advent candle and read a special passage of scripture in front of the church. During week one, the scriptures spoke of the hope of the coming Messiah. Week two was about preparing for the King. Joy was the focus of week three, while week four was about loving our Savior. As I reminisced, I got curious about the meaning of the word advent and decided to look it up. According to The Oxford Dictionary, advent means “the arrival of a notable person, thing or event.” In the context of Christmas and waiting on the coming Messiah, that meaning makes a lot of sense. But what about all of the advents we experience in our everyday lives?
When I was young, I couldn’t wait for the advent of adulthood. I just knew turning 18 was going to be the best time of my life. I would have no worries, nobody telling me what to do. Then the advent of marriage; such a magical time in life that promised such hope. Or the advent of my first real job. I was ready to take on the world. I remember the advent of our first child. We were nervous, excited and terrified we would break the little guy. By the advent of the second one, we knew we wouldn’t break him, but we were terrified all over again. All of these advents were special times in my life. Hope, preparation, joy, and love were all easy to come by as I prepared for those advent seasons. When the advents were favorable, it was easy to anticipate the new season of advent.
But what happens when the advent isn’t favorable? What happens when we face the advent of depression, loss, fear, or addiction? What happens when the advent means deep emotional pain, suffering, grief, and mental anguish? What happens when we face the advent of cancer, death, job loss, and divorce? These advents are dark, scary, debilitating, and consuming. They sneak in and destroy, often leaving us hopeless and defeated. Our bodies get weary and our spirits are often broken. These aren’t the advents that we like to think about, but more often than not, they are the advents that end up staring us right in the face.
So what do we do when these advents come? We find hope. Hope in God. Hope in the people around us. Hope in the future. We prepare. Prepare spiritually. Prepare mentally and emotionally. Prepare safe places where we can be vulnerable and open. We embrace joy. Joy in our faith. Joy in the special moments of the day. Joy in the people who surround us. And we love. Love God. Love our family and friends. Love this life with every ounce of energy we can muster. And when we get through to the other side, we do it all over again and again and again.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.” Isaiah 43:2-3
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia* and Seba in your place.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
a CSB
The advents of life are coming whether we want them to or not. Sometimes they will be good but often they will rock us to the core. Whether good or bad, easy or hard, safe or scary, we already have a guide that we can follow. No matter what advent is looming in the distance, we know the prescription: hope, preparation, joy, and love.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Knowing that God is in control of the drive helps me navigate this new road. Like Joshua 1:9
This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
(NLT) says,
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
We just don’t know what God has in store and where we will end up. Let’s do our best to trust God on this new road and never, ever waste the drive.
“Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside of it may also become clean.”
In our daily lives, so often we recognize problems and issues. We excuse them away and say we will deal with them later. We allow the mess of unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, and other sin to grow inside our hearts for so long that it becomes normal. Closing the door seems easier than trying to wade through the mess and bring it back into order again.
But closing the door only makes the mess bigger. When the day comes to open the door and clean it up, the mess will be large and hard to deal with. At this point, no matter where we look, we will constantly see the wreckage of our brokenness and wish we hadn’t neglected it for so long. Like the Psalmist expressed about his own hidden sin,
“When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.” (Psalms 32:3
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
, CSB)
Messes are messy. They require a lot of hard work and intentional focus. Time and energy will need to be exerted and decisions made about how to best handle the mess. If we become aware of some areas that we have been shoving away and shutting the door, let’s take some time to deal with those issues. If we don’t deal, we won’t heal. We need to stop closing the door and tackle the mess head-on before life gets too messy to clean up.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (NLT)
Maybe the race you are in is difficult. Maybe it is unfair or frustrating. Or maybe this is the best season you have had in a while. No matter what stretch of the race you are in, stay in your lane. No one else can live the life you have been given. No one else can stay in the lane of the race that you are in. Keep your eyes on the prize and realize that you are not in this race alone. If you keep your eyes focused in the right direction, you will have everyone and everything you need at just the right time to navigate all of the turns, bumps, and obstacles. Don’t lose heart. Don’t wish away this season. Trust God’s timing. And make sure to stay in your lane.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
(NLT) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Cancer, our uninvited guest, has come to our home and changed everything in our lives. But this IS our story. This IS our song. And even when it’s hard. Even when he’s sick. Even when we’re weary, lose hope, and don’t know what is next. Even when we are sad and can’t stop the tears, we will trust our Savior. In the morning, in the night, and when it’s the hardest words to form on our lips — we will praise Him. If He has allowed cancer to be our story and our song, then He will also give us the strength to keep praising Him all the day long.
“But those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Yeah, someone else might get the credit for all of our hard work, but maybe that’s the shot in the arm they need to move ahead. Maybe we have already proven ourselves again and again and it is time to put someone else in the limelight. Maybe we just need to encourage those younger than us so that they will feel and become successful. Or maybe we need to take people out of the equation entirely and do everything simply for the glory of God. Colossians 3:23
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
(NLT) reads,
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people.”
Whatever the reason, just remind yourself that it isn’t always about getting the credit. Sometimes it’s okay to let someone else reel it in.
Sometimes life can be all-consuming and it feels like it won’t let up any time soon. Sometimes the valleys outnumber the hills and the springs of refreshment seem to never appear. But that’s where these pockets of joy come in. When something makes you smile, tuck it away and when things get tough, pull it back out. When someone brings joy into your life, enjoy the moment fully, slip it away in another pocket and remind yourself of that instance when the world looks bleak. When you are blessed, loved, and valued, zip it up in that special pocket where it can’t fall out; you might just need the reminder very soon.
“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
CSB
Even in hardship, there are pockets of joy. Sometimes I think those special pockets are the reminders that actually get us through to the other side. I’m thankful for a God who loves us enough to send us those blessings at just the right time. Pay attention to the wonders around you. Take time to find joy in your world. Let the smile linger when it chooses to appear. Then start storing up those special treasures in your overalls. You might just find that those pockets of joy, sent straight from the Father, are what get you through the day.
Mary took in the scene, probably remembering the angel that visited her and the promises that surrounded her precious son. Luke 2:51
Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
b (NAS) says,
“And his mother treasured all these things in her heart.”
Just like Mary, we as mothers treasure so many special things in our hearts. Every second we get with our children is a special gift from God. Right now, my boys are young, but in the blink of an eye, they will be teenagers and then out on their own starting a family for themselves. I want to raise them up in Christ and teach them how to be men of God. I want to love them big and love them well. And I want to cherish every single moment.
He climbed in my lap and rested his head on my shoulder. His legs appeared longer and his little boy face seemed to have grown up overnight. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him with one of those forever kind of hugs. Before long, a tickle match broke out and we both spilled out of the chair onto the floor. Cherish these moments, was the whisper I heard in my heart.
“I sure will, God,” I whispered back. “With all my heart.”