Last Sunday Cheryl and I attended worship and Bible Class at her home church, Zion Lutheran Church in Lockett, Texas. That is where we were married and one of our daughters was baptized. Most of Cheryl’s family are still members there.

After Bible Class, I went into the sanctuary and sat down. One of our great nieces came and snuggled up next to me in the pew. She wanted to show me what she got in Sunday School that day. She said, “It’s an Advent calendar, and it is full of chocolate!” She was more than a little bit excited. She went on to explain that there were twenty-four numbered windows on the picture of the nativity scene. The teacher told her that inside each window was a Bible verse and a piece of chocolate. Then she said, “I want to go home and open them all at once and eat all the chocolates!”

I know how she felt. Most folks don’t like to wait. The world certainly doesn’t wait for Christmas. Businesses have already started having Christmas parties for their employees on this first day of December. Decorations were up long before Thanksgiving. You know what I’m talking about.

I told my great niece, “You could certainly do that. But I think you should try to use it the way your teacher told you. An Advent Calendar is supposed to help you get ready for Christmas and show you how many days are left until it is Christmas day. Every day you get to read another Bible verse and think about it that day. And you get a piece of chocolate EVERY DAY. That way you have something to look forward to every day from now until Christmas gets here. The more windows that are opened, the closer it is to Christmas, until finally all the windows are opened.”

I don’t know how convincing I was or if she followed my suggestion. But I still believe in observing Advent. It is a time of waiting, anticipation and expectation, knowing that something wonderful is coming. It gives us a chance to reflect on the magnitude of God’s gift to us before we come to the day we celebrate His birth. We prepare ourselves to once again rejoice that Jesus came down to this earth to be one of us, take our sins on Himself, and earn our forgiveness by offering His sinless life on a cross. I love watching the progression of the Advent wreath, and the building excitement until the time has fully come and we hear the proclamation:

Luke 2:10–12  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Advent also reminds us that just as we wait for Christmas, we are waiting for our Lord’s return. We know that is just as certain as His first coming. He will come again to take all the faithful to Himself, and we are now in that waiting period. One day we will hear another proclamation:

Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.