He came the first time in weakness,
a tender infant born of a poor woman
in the manger at Bethlehem,
unnoticed, unhonoured and scarcely known.
He shall come again the second time in royal dignity,
with the armies of heaven around Him,
to be known, recognised
and feared by all the people ofthe earth.
JCRyle, “The coming of the King”
Hello friends,
How are you all? Just a short missive this month as I’m tapping away in all my spare moments to get the book ready to send off to our publisher. I’m longing to tell you a bit about it, but I’m not sure if I can; I’m still fairly new to publishing etiquette.
November has felt rather akin to a series of hurdles, with each week offering me more opportunities to grow in patience and kindness! As well as the normal round of sickness for this time of year, Sparkly Eyes’ beloved bunny rabbit became ill. Amazingly she nursed her back to health and there was rejoicing all round when we heard her clicking away as she drank from her water bottle. Poorly animals are hard for any child, but I think for an adopted child, with so much trauma around loss, the intensity of emotions are on a completely different scale. Anyway, we’ve reached December, and the beginning of Advent.
As you probably know I love this season and welcome it as a time of preparation for Christmas just as Lent is for Easter. While I’ve not, as yet, introduced any additional fasting to my Advent rhythms, I anticipate with delight reading Advent devotionals, one in the morning and one in the evening. I relish my morning solitude, sitting in my rocking chair with my Christmassy scented, softly glowing candle and steaming mug of tea, watching the dawn light slowly push back the darkness of the night. I listen to achingly beautiful Advent music which rings with longing and compete with the girls to fill the house with the glorious richness of Handel’s Messiah over their full on songs of festive fun. I am thankful for this short season where I can fully immerse myself in the tension of the “now and not yet” time in which we live; knowing God’s kingdom has burst into our world, yet crying out for all the pain and injustice still present; looking forward with a deep wonder to the day when King Jesus comes back again in all His glory and gazing back to the incredible miracle of the incarnation.
Advent is also a season of hope; the world around us is so troubled and broken but we have a hope that burns ever brighter as the darkness increases. We reflect this hope and celebration in our home as the autumnal decorations come down and are replaced by strings of Christmas bunting and jingling bells, evergreen garlands, twinkly lights, bowls of spice scented pot pouri and more little felted robins, hearts and stars than are reasonable. We’ll busy ourselves with Christmas baking and making and I’ll try to prep some meals before both the boys come home and the holidays really begin.
So friends, many blessings for this Advent time; in all the preparations, fun and glitz, may you find moments of quiet and tranquility, might you be taken by surprise at unexpected revelations of beauty and may you know the hope and light of Jesus in every situation,
With love, Molly x
Mothering through the seasons 