It's Advent (my goodness - so soon?) so for me that means time to blog. Due to the chaotic nature of life at present I don't feel able to follow something task based such as Love Life Live Advent, so each day I'll be reflecting on the sentence of scripture from the children's advent calendar and how that relates to, well, anything.
Yesterday was a very odd Advent Sunday, instead of being at church I was tucked up in bed, sleeping between night shifts. Because of this is doesn't feel like I've given Advent the proper welcome it deserves. This sort of reflects life in general at the moment. I'm feeling the pressure of my assignment schedule as I run the "sprint to the end" of the more formal part of my ordination training. Work as ever is busy, especially as we enter winter virus season, and I'm immersed in a joyful placement with the Manchester university chaplaincy team. This will end before Christmas, putting me back at St Michael's for Christmas week.
My head is cluttered, my house is cluttered and my lack of preparation surpasses even the previous two years, so it's all about the "one step at a time" approach as I try to find space to anticipate the coming of Christmas and being ready to receive Christ. Luckily, I think he'll take me just as I am. Thank God.
Part of the gospel reading from yesterday was (from Luke 21:29b-30):
"Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near."
I hope to find those little signs this Advent, the sprouting leaves, that remind me God is so very close.
