the journey of advent

on my way to church today, i passed by a yard with stick people in the yeard. the owners had draped the figures to look like joseph escorting mary on a donkey. imagine what a little draping can do!

but it reminded me of the journey of advent in my family. sometime in the late 1960's, my family placed my sister's life-sized dolls in the front window, dressed as carolers; draping does wonders! the windows were outlined with big colored icicles, and our tree that year was one of those silver aluminum trees. my parents placed a flood light directed at the tree with a color wheel, that turned the silver tree shades of gold, red, green, and blue.

my mother spent hours placing tiny bulbs on the end of each branch -- if you'll remember, each branch ended in what looked like a flower. my parents were so proud; the only family on the block with a 'modern tree'. did i say it was the one and only year that we had such a tree; we had purchased it in a rummage sale. i wonder why someone would have given up such a tree in their sale?!

but that was also the year we had a dog, who like to bark at people in the front window...yes, the dolls fell on the flood light; to this day i am amazed we did not have a fire.

meanwhile, i put up the historical nativity scene; a painted box of bethlehem; more than a dozen plaster-of-paris figures painted brightly, although some of the paint had begun to chip off by then. a little night light hidden behind the star illuminated the scene. but you know?! once we turned out the lights, the tree and the nativity really did look like christmas.

we journey in advent; light guides our way. three candles representing hope, peace, and love have brightened this season. it isn't important if it is stick persons, aluminum trees, or nativity characters with their paint chipping off; god comes to us to brighten our lives, helping us find the way to joy.

do you have an advent memory you'd be willing to share? may this be your time to remember with thanksgiving....