Our word for today is BELIEVE. Believe in the magic of the season. Believe in the good in others, believe in ourselves.
A verb meaning to have a firm religious faith or to accept something as true; to have a firm conviction as to the goodness of something; to hold an opinion. A strong word with strong meanings.
During the holidays, we see this word plastered all over commercials, advertisements and holiday cards. It invokes a nostalgic and warm-fuzzy feeling. How wonderful to believe that there is good in the world when turning on the news or listening to the radio we hear about corruption, poverty and despair. We see homelessness on the rise and children being killed in our own backyard. We see inequities in our healthcare system and government and natural disasters facing so many around the globe.
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How nice to believe that there is good in the world. How wonderful to believe.
Late to church on Sunday, I hurried the girls into the car. Please hurry (a mantra unfortunately heard too much from this mom.) Still tired from the Thanksgiving holiday and all the hustle and bustle with just getting the house back together, I overslept, thus we all overslept. My husband was already at church helping to set up for the first day of Advent mass, and I was, as usual, running behind. Pulling out of the driveway, I reminded the girls to buckle up and stepped on the gas.
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Thank goodness our church is literally 4 minutes down the street. As we pulled into the parking lot, I was rushing for a parking spot when another car took my spot. Quickly looking for another spot, my oldest yelled…. “MOM! Slow down, we are here already.” Okay, I said, breath. We found a spot, parked and yes, ran across the parking lot, just in time to catch the last stanza of the introductory song. Not bad, I thought, as I quickly ushered the girls into a pew.
I felt my body unwind as I listened to the music. A wonderful time of the year, Advent is all about preparing for Jesus’ coming and believing in the magic of his birth. Believing in the good and what is about to come.
It’s my favorite time of the year. Seems like everything is special and shiny. Holiday songs, hot cocoa, writing Christmas cards, carols on the radio and baking cookies. But the last few years it’s become a bit more of a crazy-time. With work, the girls’ activities and everything in-between, I am more stressed out and less “shiny”. I see many of my friends also juggling and stressed out.
After church, we gathered with friends for coffee and donuts and a special visit from St. Nick. It was loud and crazy, with children running here and there. But it was wonderful. It was unhurried. It was unstressed. I wasn’t thinking about putting up the Christmas tree, bringing up the holiday bins from the basement to decorate, buying new boots for my daughter or a million other little things. I was just visiting with friends, having a conversation and watching my oldest stand in line with her little sister to visit Santa, because she knew wouldn’t go alone.
It was believing.
Believing in the good of people. Believing in this special time of the year. Believing in our faith, and yes, believing in the man in the red suit, no matter how old we are.
During this holiday season, when we are all running around and stressed out, maybe that’s all we need. A gentle reminder (or a child yelling it at us) to slow down… and BELIEVE…
