Today marks the first day of the Advent season in the church calendar! It begins today and ends on Christmas Eve. If you are like me, the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Advent is a wreath with three purple & one pink candle! I really like this symbol because each candle/week has a special meaning, as you can see on the image I made below.
The word “Advent” means “coming.” It is a time to really reflect on Jesus’ first coming in the manger on Christmas, as well as His second coming… which we still await! We live in the time between two advents. This reality should prompt both celebration and preparation in us!
But my fear is that most of us don’t slow down long enough to even really consider these things. We give a lot of lip service to Christmas-y words like hope, love, joy and peace… but do we really bask in them? Or are we just going through the motions most of the time?
I have personally felt convicted about how stressed out and busy I tend to be during the holiday season. So this year, I am taking steps to intentionally relax and refocus. One of the ways I feel led to do that right now is to take a break from social media. I am laying it down because I know it is one of the main things that keeps me from really dwelling on the true meaning of Advent. I want to spend more un-rushed time with Jesus and also be more present with my friends and family! Is there anything in your life keeping you from doing the same?
As we come off of Thanksgiving and enter into Advent, many of us have gratitude and giving on our minds and hearts. That is why I wish to share one way of giving that I think is so cool!
A few years ago, one of my dearest friends, Erica, told me about a really neat thing her family makes and shares, called “give bags.” She explained that they fill up plastic baggies with various little things they think might be helpful to homeless people, put them in the car, and then hand them out when they see people in need! I think this is such a fantastic idea for so many reasons:
- A great opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus
- Thoughtful and intentional
- You get to practice generosity (and teach your kids to do the same)
- Meet some practical needs
- A way to still give something if you don’t feel comfortable giving cash
Last week we shopped for the items we wanted to put in our bags, and then earlier tonight we sat down and assembled them together. We got enough supplies for 24 bags. Feel free to put whatever you want in there to make it your own! Ours is a little different than my friend’s, but the heart behind it is the same! For example, we decided to put a little gospel tract in there, too.
In the past, I have not written on the outside of the bag. That was a new idea this year. But I thought it would make it feel more personal!
It is a really fun thing to do together as a couple, family or with friends! After we finished, we put some in our vehicles and the rest in a box in the garage, so we can easily grab them to refill our cars as needed. Then we spent a couple minutes praying over homeless people in general and those who would receive the bags. Don’t skip that step… it is the most important!
I am so thankful Erica shared this idea with me. I hope you will help me keep passing it along! You never know the impact God might use you to make!
My prayer for you this Advent my friends, family and blog readers, is that you will experience hope, love, joy and peace in such a deep and meaningful way! You are not forgotten. Someone cares. Wishing you a blessed day!
Chels I love this!! I try to keep extra protein bars/shakes in my car for this reason but these bags cover so many more bases. Such a good idea!
Thank you, friend! I love that you do that, too! And your sweet bags for the foster teens for Christmas were an awesome idea!