Is there anything so wonderful as Christmas tree lights sparkling in a little one's eyes? I think not!
Celebrating Advent gives us as a family a chance to turn off all the lights except for the tree and candles, quiet ourselves, focus while Mickey reads the Bible, sing a carol or two, and learn who we celebrate in this season.
For us, Advent begins the night of December first. I keep it simple (they're 2 and 5) and focus on the prophecies and promises that Christ fulfills. This is Josiah's third year and his excitement is hardly contained. This is Cassia's first year and—and, as evidenced by the fact that she sang herself to sleep last night late into the night—she's pretty excited too.
My hope is that over time they retain the message of who Christ is and the myriad of promises He fulfills. This message is likely over their heads right now, but I'm confident in the work of the Holy Spirit (and repetition).
Each night after we pause, we listen to a short lesson on promises in the Old Testament fulfilled in the New Testament in Christ (see the lesson plan we use, linked below). We sing a carol or two that often includes the promise in the text of the song. They love the singing best (second to the nightly present). Mickey asks a few questions on what was read—mostly to make sure they were listening. Then they open a small gift I've usually placed in a white paper bag on the mantle. (These are small gifts. Last night was a cookie cutter and a tube of red decorating icing. The first night is always the decorated tree.) Then we pray before the inexorable march to bed begins.
The next day we color or paint the included pages, allowing me the opportunity to reinforce the lesson in some way. I hang the colored pages as Christmas decor.
When we read how Christ fulfills the promise of crushing the head of the snake/Satan (and the "bite" that causes His death) I'm pretty sure my son thinks the snake part is cool and vaguely understands the death part and even the overcoming of that death. He doesn't know what the word "protoevangelion" means exactly, but he hears it defined and when he learns it again later in life, it won't be foreign to him.
When we read how Christ is the fulfillment of promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that "all peoples will be blessed" by their greatest descendent, I don't know how much they retain this year, but who knows about next year?
It will take time to set the foundation of Christ alone able to fulfill the impossible task of all those promises and the reasonableness of knowing that Christ is the Messiah promised centuries before.
In the meantime a seed is planted. A mindfulness habit is rooted. The value of quiet is established. (And they certainly enjoy a gift each night!)
My goal is that the love of the First Coming births a longing in their hearts for the Second.
Grace makes room for the wonder that transforms.
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The Promises Doodle Advent by Stone Soup For Five, by Kari Denker, click here for a discount the author has provided (the PDF is only $12).
For another Advent calendar I considered, based on the names of Jesus, click here.
For a sweet little Advent calendar that has doors that open, I like this one here.
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