Advent

We have this amazing Advent book, we bought for our family last year. It's actually called "The Advent Book." It is hardbound, with boardbook pages that have a door on each page, for each day of Advent. Each door opens to reveal a picture and Scripture to tell the Nativity story. The illustrations are BEAUTIFUL! I love it. It is the beginning of a tradition for our family and I cannot wait to hand the book down.

Anyway...Gavin loves to do Advent. (We tried with Brayden, but the minute we lit the candle, he began trying to blow it out and kept blowing all through our reading. Well...we figured by the time we got to day 10, he'd probably hyperventilate and decided next year we'd let him stay up for it.) Gavin, always wants to read ahead and loves to open the doors. Sadly, he's not that into the actual story of Christ's birth.

It's a challenge...the Advent season. We want our children to know it's about Jesus. We want the true meaning of Christmas to be in their hearts and lives. We also want them to have a childhood full of wonder, imagination and tradition. We want them to decorate, enjoy lights and cookies. And as I watch Gavin set up the Nativity with Mary, Joseph, Jesus and Lightening McQueen, I think of what a challenge it is going to be to raise children to be "In the world, but not of the world." I can't convince Gavin that Lightening McQueen needs to go and that the wise men are not for using as "Yuckies" to dump out of the garbage truck. These are holy figures kid!

It's moments like these where I am once again forced to recognize my inadequacies as a mom. I realize I have very little idea what I am doing or how to do it. I am just praying that God will give me wisdom and doing my best to point to Him and that someday, my kids will do the same.
But it's also in these moments, where I look at the baby sitting next to Lightening McQueen and am reminded of what a great Gift Giver we serve. How amazingly big and gracious is our God. Willing to send His Son. Willing to offer His child. Willing to love and love and love some more.

With a God like that leading the way, parenting doesn't seem quite as scary and I am not so worried about Lightening joining the Nativity. Because if God sent His son for my sons, surely he'll help me raise them too and no little red race car will get in the way.