Advent


The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
Romans 12:13

Tonight I was inducted as a member at this wonderful little church that I've been attending for almost a year now. It was really beautiful a beautiful service; during the reading of the Christmas story, we fanned thousands of little squares of tissue paper from the balcony over the sanctuary, like snow, and then the advent candles were lit.

The above verse I read as my plane was landing in Toronto yesterday, when I was feeling pretty small and not ready to return from vacation and tackle real life, and really perturbed about always having to leave my family so far behind. Worried mostly because, next week, my mom is having surgery to see whether the strange mass next to her thyroid is cancer. So I kept repeating that verse to myself until I knew it by heart, but not until tonight's service did its meaning really sink in, and then there it was -- comfort and strength.

'Cause.....Ahhhh, it's advent! I love this time of year, and I love how the expectation of the holiday and seeing our families again mingles with the greater expectation of Christ's coming.

In other news, my insolent kitty has completely mellowed out. I don't know what Alli the catsitter did, but I can't thank her enough. He no longer bites or scratches, doesn't climb on the kitchen table, and doesn't attack the toilet paper. He wants to cuddle all the time and purrs at the slightest touch. Is this cat puberty?

Posted: Sun - December 5, 2004 at 11:11 PM        

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