November 25, 2009

As I walked in my neighbourhood Sunday afternoon, I saw people putting up decorations on the exterior of their homes. It was a perfect day for it, with fine weather, no ice to coat ladders and make the job more challenging or even dangerous.  Saturday evening when we returned from a day trip, we were greeted by Christmas lights on homes.  Not just a few lights, but many lights, lighting up homes along our street. I even saw a Christmas tree in someone`s front window the day after. Did Saturday’s Santa Claus parage have anything to do with it?  

For me, this feels a little early.

One might take advantage of the pleasant weather that feels little like November to get outdoor decorations up, then wait awhile to turn them on, but no, people are putting up the lights and turning them on, all 20,000  kilowats of them. Maybe not 20 thousand, but there sure were a lot of them glowing. Perhaps they take their cues from the retail world where Christmas trees go up as Halloween Day fades.

 While I wait until mid-December to put up our tree,  I put up the outdoor swag a little sooner.  My husband just got the  decorations out the attic this evening,  but not the Christmas tree yet.  I think I’ll put the greenery on the porch railings this week before the snow comes.

Is it winter, with its shorter days and longer periods of darkness, that makes people want to put up lights? Or is it the anticipation of  Christmas that gets people in the mood? I’m no grinch when it comes to this season; I love it as much as most people do, the lights on trees and houses the special decorating touch.

Let me tell you why I wait. The end of November is the beginning of the liturgical season of  Advent, a time of waiting. The four weeks of Advent  remind us of the Israelites waiting for the Messiah to free them from their Roman rulers, much like the earlier Israelites wanted to be free of their Egyptian taskmasters. It`s a time of introspection too, preparing our hearts once again to celebrate the birth of that special baby, a child who would grow to be a man and eventually give up his life so that we imperfect humans can have eternal life. So we can see God’s love in action.

For me, the wait is worth it. Does it mean that I save all the rest of my preparation to the last minute? No. It only means that the glitz waits. It means that I am getting myself ready to greet the promised one.  Anticipating, waiting, and getting ready.