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In the past, Christmas seemed to come and go like a whirlwind, beginning the day after Thanksgiving. I’d jump in like a child gazing at a piece of candy, dying to open it. I’d fill the days with activities and spend money I did not have. And then, just when it seemed time to enjoy, it was over. A slight melancholy and a bit broke, I’d move into the New Year. This was before I understood the deep meaning of Advent. It is a time to slow down and prepare our hearts for Christ (who would have thought December was a month to slow down). Yet amidst the hustle and bustle (staying realistic), there are sweet practices that can slow our hearts even if our lives are still busy.
One ornament a day. Sometimes, that’s all my soul can muster. Life seems to grab us by the shirt with tight fists as we succumb to the crazy, the busy, the one-and-done project. One ornament a day, I tell my children. We must not rush it. We miss so much Advent when we hurry along with the consumer world racing toward the perfect tree, gift, and image.
One ornament a day is a slow and steady process. My children gleefully wake up to this tradition each day of December. We first place an ornament on the Jesse Tree and read a short devotion. Then everyone (myself included) heads to the Christmas tree, picks one ornament from the basket under the tree, and searches for the perfect spot for their ornament.
This is a slow, peaceful practice in a world where December rushes us along with a hurried urgency to get it all done. Setting up the tree at the beginning of the month and leaving it barren is a daily reminder of what we’re waiting for. Christmas is the culmination of our deepest longing. Christ was born in Bethlehem, born in our hearts daily, and He will return. All of our lives are this consistent, waiting for the fulfillment of all things. It’s easy to rush the process, but we glimpse our ultimate purpose when we slow down and use visual imagery to remind us the wait matters. Christmas day is coming, and He will come again to wipe away every tear. We find peace when we embrace the wait.
One ornament today is like one step a day. It’s this tiny action that brings meaning. It seems too small to be significant, but we will have a complete, whole, beautiful tree by Christmas. What hope this brings. Change is possible with God’s grace and small steps. Our dreams of a better marriage, healthier lifestyle, or the beginning of a project are possible with one ornament a day.
When we focus on a one-and-done project or a quick overhaul of our lives, we miss the purpose of progress and allowing God into the process. God truly is in the details of a slow, steady, daily transformed life, and it’s not a quick fix. We often jump in so quickly that we lose heart before the culmination of what we long for. We long for a meaningful Christmas and a purpose-filled life.
It does not matter how we choose to slow our hearts down during Advent. Many beautiful ways exist, but slowing is essential because the ornaments stack and small steps build to fulfill our dreams.
Christmases past left me sad as I hurried along, crashing at the end of December. Now, I can rejoice on Christmas day because our tree is complete, and it’s only the beginning. One ornament a day, I tell my kids.
How do you slow down your heart during the Advent season?
Our Tradition:
We set up the tree (typically at the beginning of December).
We fill it with lights and a star on top.
Place a large basket of ornaments under the tree.
Every day, everyone picks a prized ornament from the basket and finds the perfect spot to place it on the tree.
In a large family, the tree fills quickly, but one thing is sure: our tree will be complete and beautiful by Christmas day.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” Psalm 37:23
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