Advent

As we begin Advent, we light one candle in the midst of all the darkness in our lives and in the world. It symbolizes our longing, our desire, our hope. Three “advents” or “comings” shape our desire. We want to be renewed, in a sense that Jesus came to save us from our sin, and death. We want to experience His coming to us now, in our everyday lives, to help us live our lives with meaning, and purpose. And we want to prepare for His coming to meet us, at the end of our lives on this earth.

So, we begin with our longing, our desire, and our hope.

When we wake up, each day this week, we could light that candle, just by taking a few moments to focus. We could pause for a minute at the side of our bed, or while putting on our slippers, or our robe, and light an inner candle. Who among us doesn't have time to pause for a moment? We could each find our own way, to pray something like this:

 

“Lord, the light I choose to let into my life today is based on my trust in You. It is a weak flame, but I so much desire that it dispel a bit more darkness today.  . Let this candle be my reminder today, of my hope in Your coming.”