A Thrill of Hope: 5 Advent Reflections & Prayers for Weary ParentsSample

Wonder & Wisdom

Winter and I have a love-hate relationship. As temperatures drop and days darken, the Advent season seems to crackle and pop with anticipation, like logs thrown on a fire. Little hands light Advent candles at the dinner table and hang handmade ornaments on evergreens. Sparkling snow covers the earth like powdered sugar sifted atop Grandma’s cookies.

I delight in the way everything feels fresh and new. My sons search for the perfect carrot noses for their snowmen, and take turns sledding before retreating inside. The home that has borne the brunt of so many winters welcomes us inside, softening our edges with borrowed books, worn blankets, and hand-me-down sweaters.

We make memories and mark the passing of time with snow boots, pulled from storage, that are now too small for growing feet. We host gatherings of friends and family we haven’t seen in far too long, the entryway a stockpile of puffy coats and fuzzy hats.

We watch with wonder as, before our very eyes, five-year-olds become the Magi in Christmas plays. We listen to a tale as old as time about a star that guided the way, and a God who took on flesh. We stoke the fires of our hearts as we tell, and retell, family stories over cups of hot cocoa.

Home becomes a beacon of light, a place to escape the cold, shed our winter layers, and warm ourselves by the fire.

But the season has a shadow side too. Christ’s birth becomes commodified. Kids pass around fevers and stuffy noses. Snow becomes slush. We cram calendars with overwhelming obligations and worry over our planners and pocketbooks, wondering how we’ll ever get everything done.

The holiday hustle and bustle lose their charm. Poverty, famine, and war do not pause for Christmas celebrations. Strained relationships don’t suddenly heal as the countdown to Christmas begins. Among the Christmas carols and candy canes, many of us feel pangs of grief too.

If you hold tension as you approach winter, you’re not alone.

As you read these reflections, you’ll explore the season’s wonder by journeying toward the Light of the World. These meditations explore darkness and light, invite you to take stock of what is spiritually forming you and your family, and welcome you into the life-changing, incarnational love of Christ.

This Advent season, may you grow not only in wonder but in wisdom too.

Reflection Questions:

1. What rituals do your family have during Advent and Christmas?
2. Are there any rituals you’d like to add?
3. How can traditions help us stay rooted in God’s time?

Prayer :

O Word who became flesh, when the world is cold, ignite in us spirits of compassion. Stoke the fires of generosity deep within our souls so our family may reflect Your light to everyone we meet.

O Light of the World, as we strike matches and light Advent candles, spark in us—from the youngest to the oldest among us—childlike anticipation for the arrival of the One who is with us in the darkness, illuminates a better way, and changes everything.