Today was the day that the COUNTDOWN kicked in and Ben exclaimed that it was 2 weeks and 1 day until Christmas. Kyrie is counting down to Grammy's arrival and then Grandpa's and then Uncle Mark's. We are very excited around here.
Advent is not just about the first coming of God to earth but about the second coming as well. The hope we look to is not just past; it is our future too.
As people get older, I've noticed that the answer to their problems is the return of Jesus. And I'm skeptical. I still remember being a small girl, Kyrie's age, and hearing a preacher tell us from the pulpit that God had told him he would live to see Jesus' second coming. He was probably close to 80 then so unless he is setting longevity records, I'm guessing he might have misunderstood what God was telling Him.
And when people point to events in the world as evidence that it will be any day now, I can't help but think what people thought in 79AD when there were multiple earthquakes and Mt. Vesuvius erupted killing some 16,000 people. And then there is the Black Plague and the bodies piled high. And wars, and rumors of war, the end of civilizations. I remain unconvinced that our era is really that special.
But the older I get the more I wouldn't mind if it was. And I guess that is the point. I think age takes much of the fear out of death, in the same way that being 9 months pregnant takes much of the fear out of childbirth. (Well, fear may remain but it is surpassed by the fear of being eternally pregnant.)
I want my desire to be to see God, to worship in His presence. I still tend to get concerned that I have so much to do here ("god complex") and so much undone. I do. But much of what I should focus on is preparation for eternity and not just next week.
Except I have company coming next week. So I really do need to do both.
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