'Tis the Season

There are so many things to celebrate this time of year.  First, we just finished with Thanksgiving—and what a good thanksgiving it was!  For being in a nation that does not celebrate Thanksgiving (for obvious reasons—the pilgrims did not land on their land!), I had 2 spectacular celebrations.  The first was a Thanksgiving potluck with rChurch.  It was held at Keyhole Bay, next to the pool, on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea.  The weather was perfect and the view was spectacular…especially when all 3 cruise ships passed by, in the dark of night, all lit up!  Sorry to those of you that were at home all bundled up with snow outside….truly I am, I do miss the snow!  Following that celebration, on Thanksgiving Day we went down the road to a small little resort that served a full Thanksgiving meal.  I must say, I never used to like Thanksgiving meal all that much, but this year the meals were exceptionally good (maybe it’s due to my lack of a variety of food from day to day, but delicious none the less).  The activities of Thanksgiving Day itself, are truly ones that I will never forget.  In the recent rainstorms that we had, there were 4 houses that were washed away from a mudslide in the Colonia leaving 26 people with absolutely nothing.  They are staying in a church in the Colonia, with nothing.  Therefore, we took them a box and a few bags of clothes, a few pillows, 3 deck chairs, some shoes, and a couple bags of rice (all things that had been given to us through cruise ship donations).  What a heartwarming experience.  On a day specifically set aside for us to think about all the things we are thankful for, I was able to share some of those things with people that had nothing.  How their faces lit up!

As of yesterday, we are now entering the Advent Season.  While some may call it the Christmas season, that season actually begins with Christmas Day itself.  Currently we are in a time of waiting and preparation; preparing ourselves for the coming of our Lord.  Some may be familiar with the Advent wreath, others may not.  There are 4 candles around the wreath, representing the 4 weeks of advent, and one in the center, the Christmas candle.  Every week, a new candle is lit, and a prayer focus is set for the week ahead.  The third candle is pink unlike the others which are purple, to signify that Christmas is nearing, but we still must continue to push through to the end and work to prepare ourselves for this special time.  Debi held a little prayer service last night in which we lit the first candle and reflected on this time that is upon us.  We talked about the candles and the wreath.  What I found interesting is that some people put a standard meaning to each candle.  At first I thought this was something that I remembered doing growing up, but now that I think about it, the candles never represented anything in particular, just a time of waiting and preparation.  So let me share with you these meanings; each represents a different part of the Christmas story.  This week we focused on Mary and her willingness to say yes to God; her willingness to give up everything and say to God, not my will, but yours be done.  Wow!  How would we respond if God were to tell us that we were hand chosen and we must completely put our future in His hands?  Could we do it?  Would we be able to give up our future dreams and simply be 100% willing to fully serve Him and do His will?  How would our life change if right now God appeared to us asking us to serve Him like He did with Mary?  So many things to think about- most of which I cannot even begin to wrap my head around right now.  Continuing on with the other candles- one is for the shepherds, another for the 3 kings, one for the angels, and the final, the Christmas candle, for Jesus.  This Advent season I know I will miss all the Christmas cheer that can be seen in the storefront windows and all throughout the city.  However, I will get to see something even greater.  I will be able to see people that are so thankful for what little they have.  Christmas has a whole different meaning to the people here.  Gifts aren’t the same here as what we typically expect to see under the tree.  There are not many toys to be had, nor could they even afford them if there were.  Christmas will not be materialized like I’m used to, but it will give me time to really reflect on the season and what it really is all about; it will give me a new, refreshed view of the heart of the holidays.

Therefore, I challenge all of you to join me in taking the time to really reflect on the true meaning of the holidays.  What things do we take for granted on a daily basis that many others would do anything to have?  How can we reach out to others in need this Christmas?  Whether it be our time, talent, treasure, or prayers, I hope that each of us can find a deeper meaning in the Advent and Christmas season this year.