LOVE: i've seen it

"I've Seen It," A Song by Olivia Dean

"I've seen it last for thirty years

Seen it bloom and end in tears

I've seen it after school and in the park

Sat right across me on the tube

Seen it miss a stop or two

Seen it trying not to fall apart

I've heard it laced in every song

And still the words all come out wrong

It doesn't always answer when you call

Brings out the worst, brings out the best

I understand it less and less

I guess I'm not supposed to know it all

I've seen it dance with friends around the table

In Eleanor, Rosie and Louise

And it makes me cry to think that I am able

To give it back the way it gives to me [...]

The more you look, the more you find

It's all around you all the time

Catches your eye, you blink and then it's gone

Brings out the worst, brings out the best

I know it's somewhere in my chest

I guess it's been inside me all along."

...

I saw Love this morning...

In my three younger siblings, who all piled together for a sleepover in my little sister's room.

I saw Love this morning...

In my parents, who once again woke up early on Christmas morning to make Rudolph pancakes, bacon, and fruit:)

I saw Love this morning...

In the spirit of God, who flickered in our Advent wreath. Hope. Peace. Joy. Love. Christ.

...

I don't know at what age the presents under our tree began feeling more like a bonus instead of the main event, but as an out-of-state student, coming home is rare for me. I see my family one to three times per semester, and honestly, it's what I treasure most about the holidays. Not the food, the gifts, the sleeping in... Just my people:) The people who are God's love to me.

Sometimes, I wonder if that's how Mary and Joseph felt. Did they see it—God's love—when they looked into their newborn son's eyes? Did they see it in the shepherds, who praised Jesus and then hurried to tell their neighbors the good news? Did they see it in their communities afterward—in the time before the wise men or Jesus's toddlerhood?

Advent is wrapping up, and I am thankful for another year. Another year of blogging. Another year of hoping fiercely, seeking peace, spreading joy, and loving the very best that I can. I am thankful for you all. But most of all, I am thankful for the last two candles that my family lit this morning: Love and Christ.

It's easy to see the darkness in our world. It's easy to feel afraid... It's even easier to feel alone. But this season, we are reminded of the birth of Jesus. We are reminded that, despite all odds (an unmarried mother, a poor father, no room in the inn), God's son is born. He's born in a stable, swaddled in cloth, and laid in a manger. He's born as a gift of Love. A teacher of kindness. An advocate for justice.

Jesus is God's Love story, and through him, God reminds us: Love is greater than fear. Love is bigger than we can imagine. Love breaks down every expectation, empire, and barrier.

And it takes some searching—some seeking, some failing. But if we can be brave... If we can open our eyes... We'll see it everywhere. We'll see it after school, in the park, on the subway, in our friends, and in ourselves.

"And it makes me cry to think that I am able

To give it back the way it gives to me..."

It's the kind of Love that changes you for the better.

It's the kind of Love that will not let you go.

...

Friends, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for journeying with me through another Advent. When all feels lost, when all feels dark... May the candles of hope, peace, joy, love, and Christ remind us that it only takes a spark. We can be Advent People, wherever we go, and we are not alone. We are surrounded by Love. Merry Christmas:)

—Allie