The holiday season has almost come and gone already and I've been meaning to write this post for the last 4 weeks! Regardless of what holiday you celebrated or how you celebrated it, you probably couldn't help but notice the carols streaming, homes lit up with lights, and car after car (or here in CO, SUV after SUV) passing by with some type of evergreen strapped to it's roof.
In our house, we celebrated Christmas and the birth of Jesus, and thus we find ourselves during the last month, in the season of Advent. It is a season of anticipation, one of waiting and one of hope. In English, those are two separate verbs, but in Spanish, one verb, Esperar, means both to wait and to hope. And it makes sense, because what is waiting without hope and hoping without waiting is not really hope at all. And as we prepared for this season, I couldn't help but be reminded of this time last year, when I was waiting with much hope for my sweet son to arrive. And now he his here and he is more wonderful than I could have ever hoped for, definitely worth the wait!
Ben experienced his first look at giraffes and elephants on our recent stroll through the zoo lights. While he was totally fascinated by all of the bright lights, he gave the real animals mixed reviews. Well, actually he cried at the sight of them. We're thinking he was a bit overstimulated. I mean, who wouldn't be...large crowds, christmas music playing, bright lights everywhere, giant moving animals, and one very loud screeching bird. He also made his first venture up onto Santa's lap, again perhaps a little stunned by the big old dude in the red suit, but it made for a great picture.
More important to us than the lights and santa and cookie baking however, are the traditions of receiving a new ornament to capture the year, the reading of the Christmas story, the practice of choosing someone special to serve in some way and give of our resources to, and the small actions that bring us together as a family.
I'm a big fan of traditions for 3 reasons. Traditions are meaningful, flushing out the values most important to us. They are intentional, calling us to pause, focus, and reflect, lending new meaning to everyday moments. And traditions are a great vehicle to pass down those things that are of value to a family. My family had countless Christmas traditions growing up and we are looking forward to incorporating many of those into our family's Christmas. For the first year ever, we celebrated Christmas where we live, in our own home, allowing us to introduce Ben to our Christmas traditions. I'm sure he won't remember them from this year, but as time goes on, hopefully he will grow to love these traditions along with new ones that will probably develop over the years.
The presence of Ben in our lives introduces new layers of meaning to words often associated with this season, like joy, love, peace and hope. The way he laughs without inhibition at the simplest of things, like when I lift my coffee mug up in the air, gives new meaning to the word 'joy' for me.
The sense of comfort and rest I feel while rocking him to sleep lends new meaning to the word 'peace.' I can't explain the love I feel for him and the gratitude that fills me when I look at him asleep in my arms. And I have great hope for the boy and man he will grow up to be. I believe that the characteristics of the Creator are reflected in the created and because of Ben, my whole perception of God and what it means to hope in him, has been expanded and deepened this season. And all of this has made for a very Merry Christmas!
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