The season of Advent is a time of preparation, of getting ready, of anticipating the birth of Jesus.  It seems like it is meant to be a process — we don’t light all the Advent candles the first Sunday of December; we light one a week to focus on and ponder different aspects of Christmas.

For years, one of my pet peeves has been when people ask, “Are you ready for Christmas?”  To me, what comes to mind with that question means having all the presents purchased, wrapped, and shipped, the house decorated, and the Christmas cards mailed.  People start asking this question the first week of December, when of course the answer is “no!”  In the past several years, our desire as a family has been to keep Christmas simple, not focusing on the “stuff” of celebration, so I tend to distance myself from that question.

This year, however, I have been feeling stressed by all that I have to do, the kind of stress that presses breath out of lungs, as I try to keep up with the “most urgent” demands while not putting off too long the “most important.”  While I want to be focused on Christ and his coming instead of stressed out and too busy, I don’t necessarily succeed at that goal.  A couple weeks ago, as I lay down to sleep without having made nearly enough of a dent in my mountain of things to do, my vision was filled nothing but a picture of baby Jesus in his manger, with light shining from it out into the surrounding darkness.  That picture was incredibly comforting to me, reminding me of Jesus, Jesus at the center, Jesus’ light shining out into every darkness.  It was also such a simple picture, not distracted by any of the clutter of my chores, responsibilities, or expectations.  I zeroed in on that picture of Jesus, washed by his presence, and for the first time in a long time felt at peace.

I keep coming back to that picture and that peace even as I make my way through this busy season.  It’s been incredibly comforting to me.  It’s even changed my reaction when people have asked me lately, “Are you ready for Christmas?”  Instead of withdrawing from the suggestion of all the “material” stuff to be done, I smile as I think of waiting on Jesus, of his light shining on us in whatever state we are in.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:5