A simple advent practice.

The disciples, when Jesus died, were heartbroken. The disciples, when Jesus appeared again, were overwhelmed with delight. The disciples, when Jesus disappeared and the Holy Spirit came, were determined in their work and invigorated in their expectation of seeing him again.

For them, the thought of a future in the full presence of God kept them going. There was a confidence that came from knowing that they would be together and what that meant.

The more we live in a confidence of God’s love for us and God’s return for us, the more we can let go of the fear of that coming and work on being ready. Which means living the life that God created us for and calls us to live.

What’s that look like?

We can light a candle each morning and say, “God, as this tiny flame lights up the darkness, please light up my darkness.”

It’s a tiny act, but the movement and warmth of the flame can help us. As God can.

We can hold our coffee cup in the morning, before the screens, and we can say, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

We can look at a picture of the person that aggravates us most with their words and say, “God, make me aware of what you see in this person to love.”

As I wrote that, I thought about how much online focuses us on the words people say as they appear next to tiny photos. I wonder what would happen if we asked God to help us see the person behind the words.

We write out our to-do list of worries and can say, “God, as I look at these worries, please make me aware of where you are.”