Christmas is almost here, and with the last week of Advent comes the frantic rush to finish buying and making Christmas gifts. Despite my best efforts, it seems like there are always one or two people (at least) who still have me stumped right into the week before Christmas.

Usually, it’s not the kids who create the difficulty. Little boys in particular are good at rejoicing over all kinds of toys, and thankfully all my kids love books. And then there is something about the way a child receives a present. Sometimes I am a little disheartened by the expectation that my children exude at Christmas: “I can’t wait for my presents!” and especially, right in the middle of Christmas morning, “Are there more?”

I think (I hope, anyway!) that there is something else going on here besides sheer selfishness. I hope that our children, for the most part, know that their parents, grandparents, and other friends and family love them, and often show that love by giving them good things. So even if I’d rather they seem a little less eager, it makes sense that they would expect many good things from the hands of their loved ones – their experience (again, for the most part!) has taught them that this is how life, and especially Christmas, works.

I just finished reading Marilynne Robinson’s Home for the first time, and when I finished it, I had to re-read its sister novel, Gilead. (Which I highly recommend doing during your Christmas break – read them both, back to back, in the order of your choice. They are rich separately, but magnificent together.) Anyway, as I was reading Gilead right at the beginning of Advent, one line stopped me cold: “But I hope you will put yourself in the way of the gift.” (Page 114, in case anyone is counting.)

Put yourself in the way of the gift. Robinson’s character, Reverend Ames, writes these words to his son, specifically about his faith and his acceptance of their church. He hopes his son will allow God to speak into his life, so that he can receive the gift of faith.

I think about our kids at Christmas time hanging around the decorated tree and the presents waiting under it. When an adult walks by, their eyes are uplifted and eager. Their hands are open, ready to receive whatever is offered. They are ready: they have put themselves “in the way of the gift.”

This is the posture we need to assume in the spiritual life as well, as Reverend Ames recognizes. We can’t accept whatever God has to give us with our hands in fists and our faces turned away; rather we must open our eyes, hands, and hearts to the Holy Infant like children around a Christmas tree, ready and eager for the gifts we know He desires to give us.

I had intentions of writing a grand four week Advent series…but Thanksgiving got the better of me last week, and this has been the week of the Stomach Bug. By the time the clothes, sheets, comforters, floors, and dog were all washed, there wasn’t much time left for writing. So that carefully planned, well-researched series will have to wait. Maybe until Lent.

My writing wasn’t the only one of our plans up-ended by this very annoying little virus. Our oldest turned fifteen this week, but festivities were muted, to say the least. Dance classes, violin lessons, school (home- and otherwise) all had to take a back seat to laundry and naps. I couldn’t even manage the little Jesse Tree ornaments and readings I had planned for this Advent. We’ll be playing catch-up with those for a while.

We all had many opportunities this week to practice patience. Practice being the key word – we failed again and again, and just had to keep trying. And the girls spent a good bit of time delirious (from exhaustion and empty stomachs) which they seemed to enjoy and will probably remember fondly for years to come.

It was not exactly how I had hoped to start our Advent. I didn’t have big, outrageous plans to begin with…but I had hoped to be a little bit focused and intentional. The challenges of Week One have forced us to streamline – Advent wreath at supper, special night prayer. A pile of Advent and Christmas books available. Advent Calendar up and running. And that’s it.

Obviously there is still plenty of time to add decorations and get the Jesse Tree back on track. Still, our week doesn’t look terribly “successful” compared to many of the beautiful, complicated Advent decorations and homeschool schemes I like to read about online. But I know one thing: I probably prayed more and harder during the first week of Advent 2021 than any other I can remember. So despite the demise of my well-laid plans, I’ll call that one part a success, and be thankful for the chance to try again next week.