Pondering the Season of Advent


Vintage Deer, originally uploaded by ivoryblushroses.

Somehow, the first Sunday of Advent slipped past without much notice on my part. How grateful I am to have some time today on this second Sunday of Advent to focus on this season of anticipation. This evening, two candles are lit, one for Hope, one for Peace. I sit in the quiet, pondering the immensities of God and his ways.

Tiny Trees
I recently had the opportunity to view a DVD titled "The Star of Bethlehem". There is a companion website, which supplements the DVD: http://www.bethlehemstar.net/ It is a fascinating look at one of the mysteries of Christmas! It reminded me what a true wonder it is to anticipate the anniversary of the physical presence of God on earth. Advent is a season to remember that the maker and orchestrator of all things known and unknown came to us in a form we could relate to in order to help us to know him better ~ amazing! To know that God who set the stars in the sky and named them all, cared enough about this tiny planet of insignificant beings to send his son to us so that we could develop a personal relationship with him ~ it boggles the imagination.

Peace
In this context, the simple decorations of pine trees and woodland creatures on my Christmas shelf seems so small in the larger scheme of things. I find myself wondering how they relate at all to the true celebrations of the season.

Dove Feather
This morning, when I walked outside after a difficult night at work, I realized that despite the unfathomable greatness of God, he relates to us on the smallest level. I had spent the night coping with extremes from the fullness of joy over a healthy new life to the grief and sadness over another little life that was far too short. Finding this small feather, a discard from one of the doves that lives in the trees outside my apartment, was a gift of God’s peace, which lifted my troubled heart and calmed my ruffled spirits.

Comments

Rachel said…
And there is the evidence - if you really needed it - that the smallness of what we can do in relation to the immensity of God is not really important. He speaks to us in small things, and small things often mean more than larger ones.
Susan Elliott said…
I have a friend who is a healer and she tells me that she feels that feathers found are a gift from the angels...Merry Christmas.
Bonnie said…
This made my heart sing. Here is a link to a blog on Hildegard's
"Feather on the breath of God"

Underneath all the texts, all the sacred psalms and canticles, these watery varieties of sounds and silences, terrifying, mysterious, whirling and sometimes gestating and gentle must somehow be felt in the pulse, ebb, and flow of the music that sings in me. My new song must float like a feather on the breath of God.

~Hildegard of Bingen~

http://beehive5.blogspot.com/2010/11/feather-on-breath-of-god.html
Linda Jo said…
I'm watching that video tomorrow at bible study! How exciting!

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