Our bucket is filled today. But, it’s being emptied regularly.

Earlier this summer, a big, heavy box arrived at our doorstep. In it, we found this.

It was sent by our hutong, about a dozen families who have made a commitment to us, to having our backs, to praying for us, to loving us for us not just what we do. They’re our people.

There enclosed detailed instructions:

This glass jar is filled with a year’s worth of love and encouragement from families in your hutong. Each day you have two choices: Take out one slip of encouragement, read it, and slip it on the large ring. OR Take out two Hershey’s kisses – one for each of you – so that as you eat them you are reminded of the hugs we would all like to give you if we were all local.

As you go through the year, reading the slips of paper and adding them to the ring, you will be making a ring of encouragement. At the end of the year, once all the slips of paper are on the ring, you will be able to read through the notes of encouragement again and again.

We haven’t followed their instructions exactly. There have been days we haven’t opened the jar at all; some days, just walking past it where it rests in our living room has been enough. Other days, I confess that we had some kisses and read three or four slips of paper because that’s just how much was needed.

Remember that “green pastures” rarely look or feel as abundant as we wish or expect

When Satan tells you his lies, meet them with the Truth.

We are in awe of how God has blessed your steps of faith!

Still other days, we were just too wrapped up in our own stuff to even go there. We knew we needed what was in that jar, but we couldn’t accept it. Those are the days that the battle within us is most fierce, the days we feel the most poured out, the days we most need our hutong to hold our arms up so that we know we may feel alone but we are actually surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.

We don’t deserve it. But, man, we are so thankful we have it. We are learning how to receive. And, they are giving us plenty of practice.

 

We filled 96 felt pockets on door-sized advent calendars last week for all 4 of our children. 96 tissue-wrapped gifts all numbered were put where they belong, waiting for their day to come. Even our 13 year old (who last year opted out is this year back in) will race to get ready in the morning to open a little gift.

I remember going to bed with anticipation every night from November 30th until Christmas. Sometimes, the anticipation was just too much to handle, and I’d cheat a bit. A big felt calendar covered the back of my bedroom door with numbered pockets. And, every morning before school, I’d get to unwrap a little treat that was stuffed into those pockets by my grandmother. Pretty pencils, stickers, a fun toothbrush, hairbands, just little things leading up to gift 24 which would be a handmade Christmas ornament.

That’s what advent is about, not dollar store treats and ornaments, chocolates behind cardstock doors, or even wreaths with lit candles. Advent is about anticipation. 

Judging by the way the children literally bounced with excitement, they get the anticipation thing. I wouldn’t be surprised to find some tissue paper shreds on the floor as the anticipation overwhelms one little girlie who can’t stop herself from cheating a bit. But, what are they anticipating?

I want them to anticipate Jesus, the story of the incarnation. I want to anticipate Him.

I searched. I pinterested. I blog surfed. And, I found some really neat family advent stuff.

{Enter feeling of being overwhelmed.}

Too many crafts. Too many requirements. Too many supplies. Too much for me.

I don’t want crafts and more things to fill my to-do list. I want Jesus. 

Two years ago, up late on December 1st and feeling defeated by it all, I found something I could do—one reading a day from The Jesus Storybook Bible. That’s it. No glue, no homemade dough ornaments, no sequins, no stress. Just a story.

There are a lot of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them. It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle–the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

The anticipation is overwhelming. I can’t to unwrap it again this year.

Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Reading Plan
Jesus Storybook Bible 10 day Advent reading plan

Americans spend about $450 billion on Christmas each year. Astounding really. In fact, it’s kind of embarrassing for us this year as we prepare for an orphan to arrive and spend the holiday with us. It’s not the “cultural exchange” we’re most excited to share with him, for sure. Way back when, about 14 years ago, when we were expecting our first, we didn’t know anything about any $450 billion. But, we knew we didn’t want to get wrapped up in wrapped-up things and that we wanted to “do gifts” a bit differently.

We wanted gifts to really mean something. And, we wanted gift giving to be an opportunity for shepherding our children, not just an opportunity to give them good things they really want. And, so, we give them 3 gifts. That’s it. 3 gifts. From us. Not from Santa. From Mom and Dad. And, these three gifts symbolize those of the wise men. Each year, before we open gifts, we read the Christmas story, emphasizing the wise men who sought out Jesus, the incarnate God, sharing the significance of each individual gift before they open their three gifts.