With a scraping, a scuffling, a bit of entanglement my son wrestles my Christmas tree down the attic stairway ladder.
The fir branches engulf him, teetering one way and another.
They poke from the flimsy plastic enshrouding them.
Thanking my son profusely for his grunt work, I begin circling our tree, straightening branches, fluffing fake needles, readying for lights.
Vintage ornaments watch with assorted hues through the clear plastic Rubbermaid. Tin stars from Mercy House glisten. Gold leaves in various shapes await patiently. Ready to adorn each branch with beauty and delight. I adore them. The colors, the glisten, the shapes, the texture, the ambience, the aesthetic.
Light + color. Life + contentment.
A journey, always.
A setting forth. A going forward.
Every journey requires direction. Every journey involves movement.
As we begin the journey of Advent, the journey of joy, the walk to a waiting manger, may our direction, our movement carry us deeper into the love embodied for us by little hands reaching out toward us from swaddling clothes.
May we sink into the warmth, the color, the light, the contentment this love offers us.
And as a reminder all Advent long, our evergreens stand sentry.
Each time we walk through our living room doorways, the cozy glow welcomes us, light bouncing off glass balls greets us, the Nativity embraces us.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy.
Oh, they’re so glad in your presence! Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.”
~ Isaiah 9:2-4
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