The third week of Advent did not begin auspiciously in the Nelson household, friends.
I wake up much earlier than the hubs, so my goal each morning is twofold: 1) silence the alarm as quickly as possible; 2) get out of the room as quietly as possible.
I’ve accomplished this so many times that, mayhap, I lulled myself into a false sense of security. (The weekend of Christmas movies, wrapping presents, fun times with friends, and eggnog cake may also have had something to do with it.)
This morning, instead of silencing the alarm, I managed to knock it off my bedside table into the narrow space between said table and the bed. There it lay, screeching like the mutant offspring of a banshee and a ringwraith, foiling my fumbling fingers’ attempts to locate the “off” button – all while giving the poor hubs a rather rude awakening.
It’s a bit discouraging to face the week – especially an Advent week, right before Christmas – when the first thing you said was a swear word and the first thing you did was . . . fail.
That’s why this week’s Advent theme of JOY is so important.
Advent, you see, is akin to Lent. It is a time of preparation, and that often involves reflection on our own unpreparedness. After all, we would have no need for Hope if all was already as we wished it to be. Nothing makes Peace so desirable as a rising awareness of our lack of it – within and without.
Two weeks of contemplating the enormous suffering of the world and repenting our own ineffectiveness in the face of it would make anyone gloomy.
Then, the 3rd week of Advent arrives, reminding us to REJOICE.
Joy, as I described during last year’s Advent poetry, is different than happiness. Practicing Joy does NOT mean ignoring all suffering while insisting, with callous naïvete, that “everything is FINE!”.
Quite the contrary:
Joy gathers all suffering into its arms and dares despair to do its worst.
Joy courses through our veins like fire, bracing us to sing out – regardless of circumstances.
Joy is Scrooge laughing like a schoolboy on Christmas morning – not because he is warm and well-fed, but because he has realized he can CHANGE. He is awake to the power of Love (more on that next week!), and that power releases him to rejoice WITH his fellow human beings.
While Hope and Peace can comfort and instruct us in our waiting, Joy reminds us what we are waiting FOR.
Joy – to continue in the theme of this Advent series – is also the best weapon against fear. As anyone who has read Harry Potter knows, nothing but laughter can banish a boggart.
May this week’s poem rouse us all to rejoice, friends.
Advent 2019
Week 3 – JOY
Like Hope, Fear plants itself in expectation
A certainty that all will come undone
Its branches bear the fruit Anticipation
The cry before the battle’s lost – or won
With Peace, Fear cannot counterfeit so well
It claims itself resigned to every care
But those who’ve tasted both can surely tell
The difference ’twixt true calm and numb despair
Yet now, Fear drops all pretense of pretending
And cowers in a corner of Death’s tomb
As shouts of glee, and laughter loud ascending
Meet carols piercing downward through the gloom
Still waiting for the righting of all wrong
Join Hope and Peace in swelling Joy’s new song
You hit it out of the park on this one! A blessing.
Love, love, love this!!!!!!
Oh, the mischievous eggnog cake…
It’s a sneaky little bugger. (In the best sense.)