Yesterday marked the beginning of the fourth week of Advent. The fourth candle was lit, and it was white. The theme of the fourth week is "love." This is a time to remember God’s infinite love, shown in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world.
The white candle represents Christ, the true Light who came into this world. The birth of our Savior is not a distant story, but a sign of God’s love directed toward each one of us. With Christmas just around the corner, I want to receive and savor this grace with a quiet and thankful heart.
Yesterday, a friend of mine attended the Christmas Thanksgiving service with me for the first time in quite a while. After the service, we went to our usual family restaurant, had lunch, and talked for several hours. When I got home, dinner was a church bento and cake. We often talk on the phone, but being able to talk face to face is still the best. 😊
The traditional Christmas gift exchange always takes place, but finding gifts that are suitable for people of all ages and genders is truly difficult. Of course, I pray that good gifts will be given, but as a basic rule, I try to choose something practical—something I myself would be happy to receive.
We prayed that our gifts would be given to the right people. This time, a bit unusually, I prayed that both she and I would receive what each of us truly needed. It was a small prayer, but the Lord heard it, and each of us received something that was just right. 😊
As always, she plans to attend the New Year’s service and is already looking forward to receiving her “New Year’s Word gift.” 😊
Note“New Year’s Word gift”
At our church, there is a tradition called a “New Year’s Word gift,” where we randomly receive a sealed envelope containing a Bible verse at the New Year’s service. It is often surprising how accurately the verse reflects the year ahead.
No comments:
Post a Comment