Do You Remember?

Do you remember the first time there was "expectant baby" in your life?  I guess technically, my younger brother would be the first for me.  However, being only 2 and a 1/2, I don't remember much about him being born other than thinking all the babies at the hospital were a bunch of little puppies! 

My first real experience expecting and waiting for a baby to be born was 19 years ago.  My oldest sister, Christina, was expecting her first child.  I remember being so excited to have a nephew on the way.  I could tell my sister and her husband were excited, my parents were excited, and my siblings were all excited.  Like Christmas Trees and Christmas decorations, baby toys and clothes started showing up around the house in preparation for my nephew to arrive!

Christmas day came that year and we all got up early for opening gifts.  Growing up, this was by far my favorite day of the year.  We would open gifts one at a time and with a total of 5 kids in our family, this usually took quite a while.  I loved opening gifts, but I also loved seeing everyone else opening gifts. 

There was just one roadblock in my favorite day of the year...my sister started having contractions that morning, putting our gift opening on hold as we all went to the hospital.  At first, I was excited about my nephew possibly arriving soon!  It was exciting rushing to the hospital, but being only 11 at the time, the waiting once we got to the hospital was not near as exciting.  I had gifts under the tree waiting to be opened, I didn't have time to sit and wait for my nephew to arrive.

Ultimately, the doctors sent my sister back home, and we got another chance to possibly open gifts.  We opened a few gifts, but then ended up headed back to the hospital.  We waited a while and then was sent back home. 

Opened a few gifts...back to the hospital...
Then back home...
Then back to the hospital...
Then back home...

This went on for what seemed like forever.  I was torn between being excited about my nephew being born and annoyed that I wasn't getting to open gifts. 

Finally, early that evening we were able to open all of our gifts.  But I had a hard time really sitting there enjoying opening the gifts.  I was too distracted by my nephew's arrival.  The excitement over my nephew being born had trumped my excitement to open gifts. 

Late that evening, December 25th, 1991...my nephew Wesley Tyler Mullis was born.  I have to admit that gift trumped any gift I had opened that day.

I think back to that Christmas and it is the Christmas where things really changed for me.  My favorite part of Christmas used to be putting up the tree and decorating for Christmas.  It used to be opening gifts on Christmas. 

But things changed.
I began to think about the excitement that must have been present when Jesus was born all those years ago.  I began to think about how I never really put much thought into the real "reason" for us even having Christmas.
That year changed Christmas for me.  That year became the year I began to focus on the gift of the Christ child in my life, and the new life that gift brings to me. 

When you begin putting up your Christmas tree and Christmas decorations, are you doing so with an excitement for opening presents and giving gifts or are you doing so with an excitement that comes with an expectant child?

When you first wake up on Christmas morning, are you thinking about opening presents or are you thanking God for the greatest gift this world has ever seen?

Where is your heart this advent season? 
Where is your focus this advent season? 

I encourage you to spend time each day this advent preparing your heart for the gift of the Christ child!
I encourage you to spend time each day inviting the Christ child in to your heart again, focusing you on the real "reason for the season"!