Advent Reflections

December 1st

“He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:2

There seems to be more hustle and bustle during the Christmas season than any other time of year. We have gifts to buy, packages to wrap, and cookies to bake. The financial pressure we place on ourselves to buy gifts is enormous, and instead of enjoying this holy time of year we walk through it almost trance-like, anticipating December 26th, the day it is over.
I went for a walk yesterday at a local park. It was a beautiful fall day- the sky a brilliant blue, the air crisp against my face, the smell of leaves in the air. I decided to hike down by a small stream in the woods, close to the walking trail. I love the sound of a stream as it tumbles over rock and sediment. Yet there were parts of the stream, the deeper areas, where the water appeared still. In those places I could see what lay beneath the water’s surface- rocks, tree branches, even trash. The 23rd Psalm came to mind:
“He leads me beside still waters.”
As the Christmas season has officially begun, take time out each day to sit, relax, reflect, and listen. There may be some ”trash” within that God wants to help us clean out so we can better sense His joy. An old wound may need some balm for us to regain His peace.
May you gain strength and insight for your journey today and may the beauty of His stillness bring restoration to your soul.