Decorating...

We have had all of our Christmas decorations up for a while now. Well, all save one - our Nativity sets. Now I love our Nativity sets, especially the large one that we bought during our first year of marriage. I look forward to putting them out each year, and they are always the very last thing that I take down (last year it was April before I put the last one away!). So as I started to read about when everyone decorates, it was bittersweet for me to hear of putting the nativity out much later in the Advent season.

I say bittersweet because even though I wanted to place it out first, the very idea of waiting appealed to me! I even was reading up on the history of the nativity scene (I didn't realize that we have St. Francis to thank for this wonderous tradition!). I found that the manger, animals, and shepherds were traditionally put out the third Sunday of Advent. Then Mary, Joseph, and the donkey are in place on Christmas Eve. Of course Jesus would be added on Christmas morning - I love the idea of children "looking" for Jesus as I always liked scavenger hunts. Finally the wise men and camels would be added at the Epiphany. This all made such logical sense to me, and I thought "what a great way to visually drive home the purpose of the season!". But...


If I were to follow through with this, I would have to delay my gratification in getting to place out my special sets. I knew that this would be difficult. Yet, I knew that this would be a great way for me to joyfully wait for the coming of our Saviour. I might even get more out of this than our boys! And so we decided to wait.

I am ever glad that we did, because here we are just about to that 3rd Sunday in Advent. I am so excited about beginning to put out our sets this weekend that I am giddy with anticipation! I realize that we are so close to Jesus's birthday, and I am just so excited. And I realize that this is just what the season of Advent is meant to be - a time of joyful anticipation. Can you just imagine all of those people many years ago who were just as anxiously awaiting the birth of the Messiah?

And just think, the time is almost here!