30 Days of Gratitude - Day 29

 Day 29 – November 29 – First Sunday of Advent – “Give thanks that the Christ-child is coming and continues to come to us”

Yesterday I put together my Advent wreath. Today the first candle, that represents “HOPE” was lit.

The current sermon series at church is on Dreams, and our Advent meditations for the month are also about dreams and dreaming.

When Christ was a “gleam in his Father’s eye”, so to speak, an angel appeared to Mary to tell her of her impending pregnancy. But the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to inform him that his fiancé was having a baby. There are Biblical scholars who believe Mary probably also had a dream, but that the writer of the Gospels probably thought an angel appearing in person would be more believable to the people of the time.

The Magi had a dream too. Many things were revealed to people in dreams in Biblical times. Angels appeared to the shepherds to let them know Christ was born. All of the time surrounding the coming of Christ seems to be wrapped up in angels and dreams.

Whether in a dream, or in person, the people directly involved in the birth of the Christ-child were informed of the event.

Christians celebrate the birth every year, and begin to anticipate it four weeks in advance.

I can’t imagine what the world would be like without Christ, so I do give thanks for His birth and life. He is always with us, in the Holy Spirit. Now, 2000 years later, we still anticipate the day He will come again.

Thank you, God, for the gift of Your son.

Amen.