Pandemic Christmas Letter- the ADVENT Continues...

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Who would have expected this? When planning how to celebrate Christmas 2020, who would have guessed that we’d be choosing between:

  • Masks or no masks inside our own homes when a family member who is not of our own immediate household ‘bubble’ drops by at the door?

  • Indoor Christmas dinner with up to 5 individuals of your own household or an outdoor gathering up to 10 without food

  • Ascertaining which candlelight service to partake in online- heck, let’s take in three this year in our Pj’s.

  • Discerning which platform to use in a virtual Christmas greeting with loved ones Facetime verses ZOOM? hmmm.

‘Tis the season to celebrate (SOMEHOW), together during a pandemic. A HOPEFULLY once in a lifetime experience. This year as I lit the advent candles in my own home leading up to Christmas, I was struck with some of the lessons humanity is invited to learn, (or relearn), especially during these challenging times. Romans 12:12 encourages us to be ‘joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer…” As we do, may we grow in hope, peace, joy, and love as true growth begins in the heart..

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Scriptures, intentions, and prayers

Hope

  • “Now faith is the confident assurance of what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

    • INTENTION: As the carol “O Holy Night’s ‘ lyrics say ‘The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices…’ May 2021 be a fresh new start- a reboot to build upon the lessons learned from 2020 with greater clarity.

    • PRAYER-Search my heart God for those things that I hope for that is not in line with your will for my life. In our weariness, increase hope for our often jaded hearts. Increase our faith so we can pray for the fullness of the Kingdom of God to be more evident in our hearts, families, and our world.

Peace

  • “For unto us a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And his name will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace. “ Isaiah 9:6

    • INTENTION: As many church buildings had been closed or attendance in person increased to more online as a result of the pandemic, may we grow more in the knowledge of what the ‘church’ really is. not the building, not the denominational preference- but the believers themselves spread out among the nations.

    • PRAYER: Forgive us for allowing ‘religion’ to get in the way of having a relationship with you God. It’s all about relationship- not being overtly ‘religious’. Forgive us for putting too much trust, hope, and faith in people, government, or systems where only YOU deserve our full attention and devotion. We trust in Your heavenly government- who gives everlasting peace.

Joy

  • “In mercy, you have seen my troubles and you have cared for me; even during this crisis in my soul I will be radiant with joy, filled with praise for your love and mercy.” Psalm 31:7

    • INTENTION: We are living souls. Each person is created to function with the Spirit of God to fill their hearts with Joy. Pain, sorrow, trials, and the many crises we may face are a result of living in a fallen world-restoration is made possible because of the love of Jesus.

    • PRAYER: Father God, you know everything about me- and all that has transpired in my entire life- this year, this day, this moment. Teach me to worship you and give me the strength to give all my cares, worries, and anxieties over to you. I cry out to you to fill me, refill me with JOY that is overflowing.

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LOVE

  • “For this is how much God loved the world- he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.” John 3:16 The Passion Translation

    • INTENTION:- As the carol “Joy to the World” puts it: “the wonders of His love,” most people understand Jesus’ birth is a huge proclamation of God’s love. May we grow in our understanding of what that love means to us and for the world. The greatest commandment as found in the SHEMA is to live our lives out of the outflow of Love himself.

    • PRAYER: May we receive the grace and love in our own hearts so we can truly love our neighbor as ourselves. Forgive us when we live self-centered lives and we lack honor for You and your name Lord God. Uproot any sin that divides us from loving you like selfishness, pride, apathy, unforgiveness, racism, wicked thoughts, words, and actions that harm others- intentionally or unintentionally. I receive you, Jesus, I believe you Jesus- the light of the world.

“Then Jesus said, “I am light to the world and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.”
— John 8:12 The Passion Translation

My Pandemic Christmas letter

So, heh- I (like many this year) didn’t get around to sending Christmas cards, but here we go:

We celebrated with a bonfire outside this year as we ‘got used to different’ with all the suggested regulations. We were blessed with good weather and it was actually quite fun to put up a tree by the garage and pull up the presents in Tim’s snowmobile utility sled. Beyond the uniqueness of a pandemic Christmas celebration- 2020 was in so many ways- a challenge and provided many opportunities to look inward and upward. I pray I/ we learned the lessons we are supposed to ‘get’. What do I cherish? what do I prioritize in my life? As Christmas winds down for this year and we prepare to ring in a new year soon, this extended time has given me more time to reflect - how about you? I pray our increased times of isolation has served as a way to address our own hearts in a way that can be illuminated by the light of the world. It is good to reflect on the past, present, and future.

In reflecting on 2020, I celebrate some milestones and ‘highs’ like Amanda and Kevin’s Cancun wedding on the beach in March- right before the pandemic restrictions began- graduating with my masters from Brriercrest in April (on paper- no ceremony that is)-finding more alone time for reflection, the birth of our second grandbaby- Kylen in July to Justine and Kaden, spending more quality time with Tim after celebrating 30 years of marriage this August, getting to know neighbors better with more regular physical distance walks, a successful recuperation from surgery after 8 weeks of ‘taking it easy’ and celebrating I can get back to moving more with pilates and getting outdoors more now after receiving snow-shoes from my secret Santa. PLUS- As a founding director of a local charity Hope Restored Canada based here out of Saskatoon, I celebrate, along with the board and staff, the one year anniversary of the opening of our restoration home for survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation!

With every season, there are highs and lows…

I also reflect on the ‘lows’ of 2020 (not forgetting the pandemic itself and all its challenges) but other issues like the political strife, racial/ gender discords that have risen to the surface for the entire world to witness. Relationships need repairing and we ache for restoration and reconciliation among individuals, families, cultures, people groups…but so much is out of our control. We cannot change other people- we are responsible for our own thoughts, words, and actions. As ugly as the heart of humanity seems at times, it has been my experience that unless sin in all its forms comes to the surface, we cannot deal with it. Keep things under wraps and watch chaos brew as it simmers beneath life’s masks, cover-ups, and facades.

So, the advent continues. Our world continues to need a whole lot of hope, peace, joy, and love. As we celebrate Jesus who came to earth two millennia ago in the form of a baby - who lived and died for you and me, we are now living in the days the biblical prophets wrote about long ago as we in the age of the ‘second advent’. Although gifted with the Holy Spirit for the interim in this age to fill us, renewing us to be His light in this dark world, our souls, our world aches for its ultimate destiny. Christ’s second glorious coming as prophesied throughout the word of God couldn’t come quick enough- yet we wait, we ponder, we pray. We do our part, God ultimately does His.

We enter 2021 with faith to believe that God is sovereign and there is the purpose for the trials and only God sees the big picture as Jesus instructed in Mark 13:32 '“…no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. and shared a parable to be on guard, alert, and awake. I pray that we can all seek truth in the coming year to discern the times rightly and trust that the advent of His second coming will be on our hearts and minds as we continue to experience life as we know it.

The Advent Continues!

Hoping, praying your Christmas was a blessing to you this year in some ways. So rather than saying the typical ‘Merry Christmas and happy new year’, I will end with- ‘may advent hope continue in your heart to grow more in joy, peace, and love now and always’- love Jodi

- photos by Theodora Ofosuhima the founding editor of Obaahima

- photos by Theodora Ofosuhima the founding editor of Obaahima

Recommended Resource on ADVENT

The BIBLE PROJECT released a series on the advent season- it’s a great study to get to the root words and meaning behind Biblical hope, peace, joy, and love. Below is an intro video as well as all four themes in the ‘Advent Series’ from the Bible Project team:) Visit their website to download studies in each word study if you’d like to reflect further on hope, peace, joy, and love!

Other related blogposts of mine on the Christmas theme: