In the Gospel of Luke yesterday, John the Baptist cried out
"Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God".
I was struck by the opening command.
"Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths".
Am I preparing the way of the Lord in my home and with my family?
Am I providing a straight path for the Lord?
Am I spending as much time talking about the magic of the Christ child as I am about Santa?
The Magic of Christmas.
What does it mean to you?
Is it solely about the magic of Santa, the magic of the elf on the shelf?
Is it about presents?
Can we even see His presence in our lives during this overstimulating time of the year?
Do you look?
Do my children know about the Holy Family? The magic of His Birth?
One way to paint the picture is to sing this simple hymn with the kids:
The magic is in the music, the magic is in the questions of a seven year old girl and the wonder of an almost 5 year old boy.
The laughter of a little Bridgie giggling as we practice being cattle lowing.
Dear God, I do not have all the answers and I am certainly not doing it 'right'. I am trying to live in Your presence and to teach my children to look for You. Guide me in preparing the way for You and pushing aside that which clutters Your path.
Amen.
I often wonder the same thing here. I'm praying our Advent traditions, both at home and at our parish, help drive home for them (and honestly me too) the true meaning of all it and teach us all where our focus really should be.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting! It's honestly about making sure I have the right focus! The children don't care what I say, they care how I act, what I do, and how I treat them.
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