Third Wednesday of Advent
Originally posted Saturday, December 11, 2010, after LeAnn and I became engaged.
I’m having difficulty decorating the house for Christmas this year. Not physical difficulty; the decorations that used to be in boxes way up high in the garage are now in a closet not five feet away from where I’m sitting. Not logistical difficulty; I have plenty of time to decorate. Not spiritual difficulty; my heart is full of Christmas, I’m swimming happily in Advent at church, and I’ve filled the air around me with Christmas music. Not emotional difficulty either; I’ve been single for two Christmases already and I decorated for both of them and that was fine.
No, this year it’s more like “transitional” difficulty. I don’t want to fill up my rooms with the Christmases of my past because I’m eager for the Christmases of my future and the new decorations and traditions they will bring. I may yet put the wreath on the door and hang some lights on the camellia bush just to put on a good face for the neighborhood, but that will probably be all.
In the years since writing this, that holiday “transition” has blended Christmas traditions from the past with new ones that have grown over time. While the central story of Christmas — the “reason for the season” as they say — is timeless, our understanding of that story is a living, breathing process. Which makes sense because we celebrate the birth of a living, breathing savior.
