Advent.

It is offically Advent. Offically a brilliant time to sit and contemplate, to sit still and find again the art of waiting. To stop and listen to the stirrings of Hope in this world. Remembering again that there is One who stepped into time and space, who took on the clothes of humanity and came to redeem and restore in this world. One who did not leave his people in darkness. One who came to bring in the dawn of new life, of real hope, of the beginning of the end. One who moved in and reshaped history. Advent, a time to reflect on the dark and begin to see again the glimmers of light that dance around and entice and gently lead us onwards.

The thing is, the thing that I have been reminded of this weekend, is that this takes time. We can't live at our full pelt run around madly pace and expect to remember. We have to slow down to become aware of the presence of the Other in our lives. To overcome the insanity of needing to achieve to prove worth, the need to display our social calender to the watching world and the panic of needing to prove ourselves to others or ourselves. There is time in the day, we need to find it. I want to find it. This weekend has slowed my pace down and tomorrow I don't want to race through again. Which means I will do less. Which means I will fill my head and senses with less, I will attempt not to pick up the TV remote as the first thing I do when I come into the house, I will attempt to only check blogs once in the day, I will attempt to not set my default reaction as 'fill head with stuff and images and ideas'. Slowing down matters. Because I am loosing sight of the shepherd, and thus I am less of a person, less of a friend, less of a lover. I want to know Him again. I want my hand in His, I want to know His voice, I want this advent to be about Him and not my manic activity.

I'll let you know how it goes...