We’re about to make the turn into the season.
Back in January and February we started on our way, looking for the right path into a new year, testing the road and getting comfortable with our journey. But then came Spring, and our pace quickened. We rolled along the scenic routes of March and April and stopped by Mom’s house in May, before hitting the long stretches of June and July with their fireworks and road trips. With August we headed back home, only to slog along the jammed streets of September and October, yellow buses ahead of us, commuters behind, and calendar-driven parents all around.
Maybe it was Halloween that started us looking for the turn, but with Thanksgiving we know we’re there. We’re about to round the last bend. Then it’s all downhill past festive lights and well-stocked stores, through malls and gatherings and trips to the church, until at last we screech into Christmas.
This last patch of the year can make for a wild trip. If you’re not careful, you can fly straight through December and halfway into February before you know where you’ve been. So, slow down for a moment and take a look at what lies ahead. It’s such a small part of the journey, this last leg, but it carries us across an amazing landscape.
Thanksgiving sets the tone. Stop for a moment and look around. Notice the leaves caught up in wind, the smells of food, the smiles on family faces. Count the blessings you’ve accumulated along the way this year. Or don’t count. But say thanks.
Now, make the turn into Advent and December, and be sure to keep your eyes open for familiar surprises. On your way to the mall, notice the songs on the radio. Watch a Hallmark movie (or 20). And look carefully as you go from mall to gathering to church; you might just catch a glimpse of bath-robed shepherds following an aluminum-foil star. Or maybe it’s the real star. I’m not sure, but I know it’s enough to take your breath away.
While you’re out and about, be sure to stop in the sanctuary to hear the children’s voices and the soaring songs of choir, organ, and yourself. And then, as the road levels at journey’s end, stop once more, take a breath, light a candle and join in “Silent Night.” Listen as the engine goes quiet at last. Angelic hosts are about. Good news is born and God’s light shines in the waning of the year.
Wonders await just beyond that last turn.
In Christ,
Rev. Mark Westmoreland, Senior Pastor