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Life Ways Advent Surprises for Mom The holidays demand an immense outpouring of energy from any mother as she plans and bakes and buys in order to bring her family the fullness of Christmas joy. Yet simultaneous with the holiday preparations, we are plunged into the darkness, emptiness and longing of Advent. The haunting strains of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," echo in our hearts as we scramble for some time to attune our souls to the melody of Advent waiting. In the time we can snatch between errands and appointments to "tune in" to God, we beg him to invade our own lives. As day swallows day in our Advent rush, we suddenly arrive at Christmas, that Christ, has surprised us from behind. Sitting before a crackling fire or a twinkling tree we discover that from the deepest, most personal parts of our being Christmas has happened. In all the rush, Christ was being born in our lives. Chesterton says, "It is as if we had found an inner room in the very heart of our own house, which we had never suspected; and seen a light from within." In making ourselves more and more at home in this room which gradually is revealed to us, each Advent becomes more simple. As the years pass, Christ does invade our lives--simplifying, inviting, transforming. To increase your own capacity to be surprised this Christmas, try these Advent secrets:
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