LOVE: Of Love and Life

Today, my heart is full:)

I woke up to stillness: warm blankets, peaceful silence, and the sunshine that poured through my wreath-covered window. But stillness is not permanent, and soon, our house was full of the best kind of noise: shouts of "Merry Christmas," "Can we wake up Thomas now?" and feet running down the stairs to a table full of Rudolph pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, and (of course) whipped cream—a tradition my parents still keep up, no matter how old we get.

And then, a different kind of noise filled our walls. At the table, my family ate together, prayed together, read a devotion, and, for the first time all year, lit every single Advent candle on our wreath: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, and the Christ candle. The light filled our dining room, and the purple, pink, and white candles slowly burned away. This is one of my favorite parts of Christmas morning! But it did not end here...

After a quick transition to the living room, we opened up presents. Things like a "What the Sigma" t-shirt (bless), a wearable blanket, hair curler, tool kit, and a collection of books littered our living room floor (guess who got what!). Amber blasted music through her new speaker, and my mom (humorously) got onto my dad for getting her way too many gifts.

Every year, Christmas is magical. And every year, the sugar crash that follows goes so hard:) Now, my family is dispersed—asleep or about to be—and waiting for the feast we'll eat when the chocolate wears off:)

...

Like many of our holidays together, my family's Christmas mornings are rooted in tradition: pancakes, Advent, presents, naps. In fact, my family's Christmas seasons are rooted in tradition: decorating the tree, getting peppermint milkshakes during the Iron Bowl, watching White Christmas, attending a million church services, reading Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, and lighting the Advent candles.

These traditions are fun, but most importantly, they keep us grounded. Like cues, they remind us, in food, song, movie, or candle form, what, who, and why we are celebrating: we are honoring the birth of Jesus, Immanuel, "God with us."

Of course, some traditions are silly. I don't exactly think "Yay, Jesus!" when I'm sipping on a Chick-fil-A peppermint milkshake. In fact, most of my thoughts are ones of regret (I am lactose intolerant). However, whether fun, silly, Santa-focused, or Advent-heavy, Christmas traditions remind me to be present—to be where my feet are, to grow where I'm planted, and to practice mindfulness. And in a world that is constantly falling into the idolatry of the past or future, I'd argue that being present is more important now than ever.

...

A few weeks ago, I enjoyed another Christmas tradition (seeing Christmas lights!), though this time with someone new. We drove through Locust Grove, Georgia, admiring different light displays, inflatables, and what must be the products of steep power bills. On our Christmas-light-looking trek, a song by Caamp, "Of Love and Life," played in the background.

"Of Love and Life" is a song about wise words from older generations—almost like a tradition of storytelling. My favorite verse is when he sings,

"Hear me out, take your time

And watch the setting sun

Take your hands out of your pockets

Feel the water run

[...]

This here is love

This here is life"

Admittedly, we shed a few tears:) Admittedly, I always do when I hear this song. And I always live and love when my hands are (metaphorically) out of my pockets. When I feel the water running. When I look for God. When I take it all in and I treat others the way that feeling feels.

This Christmas, I've thought a lot about traditions and what Christmas means to me—why, in particular, I'm so drawn to Advent, candles, and a Christmas story I know by heart but that continues to surprise me.

And I think my thoughts are summed up pretty well in these lyrics.

The world needs more Love, and love is a hard thing to do. But Love, even on our hardest days, exists, and it's easy to find, feel, and follow. Sometimes... or all the time... finding, feeling, and following Love just requires us to be present. To practice mindfulness. To light the candles of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love—if only in our minds.

...

2024 is coming to a close. So I thank you, Advent People, for another year... for reading about my attempts to process the noise. For knowing I know very little but care a whole lot:) I am grateful.

My prayer for all of us as we end our Christmas season and begin 2025 is that we take our hands out of our pockets. I pray that we make a tradition out of hoping fiercely, seeking peace, spreading joy, and loving well. I pray that we soak up the love and life God offers.

The world needs all of all of us, and some days this feels overwhelming. But today, we are reminded that we are not alone. God's good news is that God is with us. And we can be with each other. This here is love. This here is life.

So Merry Christmas, Advent People. Go love. Go be present. And make it your tradition!