The Christmas season has officially begun (according to retail stores it began in October, but I
digress). It is a time of year most of us look forward to with anticipation.
When I reflect on my childhood, I fondly remember joyful Christmases filled with memories I will
always cherish. To this day, I can clearly remember the church I grew up in lighting the advent
candles each year. To me, at the time, this ceremonial act was a weekly countdown to
Christmas morning. But as I’ve grown, I’ve come to realize that Advent is not just about waiting
for a holiday. These few weeks are a time we are to prepare our hearts for the coming of our
Savior— reflecting on His birth with gratitude and joyfully anticipating His return.
In Micah 7:7, the prophet declares, ‘Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my
salvation; My God will hear me.’ This was a time when Israel was in turmoil, and yet they held
on to the hope that God would fulfill His promise of salvation. We, too, wait with anticipation—
not just for Christmas Day, but for the day when Christ will return and make all things new.
As Christians, we cannot lose sight of what is to come. We too, are anticipating the coming of
our Savior— the anticipation of no more pain, no more tears, and being in the presence of our
Lord for eternity. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed
away.” Revelation 21:4
Earthly anticipation often revolves around things we can touch or experience immediately such
as a new gift, a family gathering or a moment of joy. But the anticipation we live with as
Christians is different. It is not based on the temporary, but on the eternal promise of God’s
kingdom— an anticipation that shapes every part of our lives.
My prayer this advent season is to honor the Lord’s coming as a part of my Christmas
celebrations, and rejoice in the anticipation of the promise of His second coming.
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ,” Philippians 3:20
Abbie Castillo
