About seven years ago my family and I started to be a little more intentional about the Church calendar. Part of that practice has been prioritizing the Advent season—learning what it looks like to reflect on hope, peace, joy and love on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Having three family birthdays in December plus all the holiday events makes for a very full month! But that’s why we love our Advent rhythm. It’s not another thing on our to-do list, it’s a space set aside each week where we can slow down and tether ourselves to what matters most this season.
One of my favorite family traditions that has come out of our Advent rhythm is something I get to do as a father. We light the Advent candle for that Sunday, and I get to go around and honor each one of my kids by telling them how I’ve seen the ways they practiced hope, peace, joy, or love based on the focus of that Advent week. This takes place whether they had a really great week or a not-so-great week. Whether they got an A on their test, or whether they lost their phone or screen time privileges. Regardless of their behavior that week, they know I will honor and encourage them on those Sundays leading up to Christmas.
This is why I love Matthew 3:16–17. Before Jesus ever turned water into wine, healed the sick, or fed the thousands, His Father spoke words of affirmation and adoration over Him. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (NKJV). The heart of the Father was on full display for all who witnessed that moment. Summed up in just eleven words, the Father’s heart for Jesus echoes to this very day.
The Advent season is a busy one for many. We have holiday work events, Christmas parties, decorating, baking, and what feels like an endless amount of shopping. There is so much we must do that sometimes the season flies right by and we forget how to be. I wonder if this a mirror for how many of us approach our relationships with God. We feel like we have a lot to do for God, but we forget how to be with God.
As we enter the Advent season, take some time to lean into quiet spaces. Rather than adding another item to your list, pause. Intentionally be with the Father—the One who sent His Son to be with us. The One who calls you and I “beloved.” And whatever this week, month, or season has looked like for you, may you hear the heart of the Father whisper over you—better yet, declare over you: “this is My beloved son, this is My beloved daughter, in whom I am pleased!”
Delight in that gift this Advent season.
