Over the weekend, my wife and I took the kids along on a run to Great Falls for Christmas shopping. I generally enjoy taking the kids along for grocery runs or out for meals in town. However, there’s something about the Christmas season that turns the energy level in kids to 11 on a scale of ten. That spike in energy is accompanied by similar increases in noise, crowds, traffic, expense, and general stress. By the end of our outing, my wife and I were thoroughly frazzled and exhausted. Peace on Earth was the furthest thing from our hearts as we drove home that evening. When I was in my first year of college, I waited tables through a Christmas season and found that the first thing parents wanted when they came in with their kids, post-Christmas shopping, was a stiff drink or four. I believe we all experience the increase in stress and frustration throughout December, just trying to prepare for Christmas.
Last Sunday, our church observed the second Sunday of Advent. Advent is the four Sundays preceding Christmas in the church calendar. Historically, Advent was used as a time of spiritual preparation for the celebration of Christmas. This was accomplished through times of fasting, prayer, quiet self reflection, and other spiritual practices. In my own life, it is hard to escape the realization that Advent has become exactly the opposite of what it was meant to be. I eat more. I focus on shopping and decorating rather than the condition of my soul. I don’t feel like I have more time for contemplating God’s grace in sending His Son. Every bright, blinking light and shiny ornament serves to distract me from the true meaning of the holiday, rather than pointing me toward Jesus’ birth as the Savior of mankind.
This year, more than ever, I find myself hungry for the peace God promises us through Jesus. I am also finding it harder than normal to dial it all down, to focus on the Nativity and true meaning of the holiday. I really don’t think I am alone in that. The thing is that the difficulty is both a frustration and an opportunity. It is an opportunity to grow in our general ability to hit the brakes on life and spend time with God. It is easy to do that sort of thing when life is slow and peaceful. Learning to do it in chaos trains us for better focus in general.
I think one of the biggest challenges in finding the quiet space to talk to God during Advent is that we have so many things to do, and there is a feeling of urgency to be doing something constantly. Prayer, by contrast, can feel like it doesn’t accomplish anything. I would argue that prayer in times of urgency and busyness accomplish things and the result takes time to observe. Dallas Willard, a Christian philosopher, wrote wise words on the subject. “Just as we can be sure that the Word of God will do its work, we can be equally sure that prayer will do its work. We just need to do it, growing in confidence as we do it. It's like swimming; you learn by doing it. We may not know how we should pray, but if we do it, we'll learn.”
While setting aside time to pray before embarking on a busy day may not seem to check anything off of our to-do list, it does change us. The repeated act of changing ourselves in small bits, learning to swim in Christ through the chaos of life rather than giving up and letting the current of busyness drag us wherever the world wants us to go. Instead, we can learn to live life according to God’s direction, swimming toward His goal for us. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, it is vital that we seek Him rather than the trappings of the season.
