A fresh start

By Charles Christian

The little boy kept erasing and erasing his math homework. He broke his pencil lead and had to resharpen it.

Then he nearly tore his eraser off his pencil as he struggled with several of the problems in front of him. His mother came in and saw his consternation. She also saw all the holes and smudges that filled the notebook paper beside his math book. His head was down in frustration. She gently tapped him on the shoulder, picked up the illegible paper and threw it in the garbage can. “Now,” she said, “let’s get a fresh piece of paper and take a closer look at what you’re struggling with.”

The boy smiled at the fresh, unmarked paper, collected his thoughts and began to slowly analyze the problem, discussing it with his mom. Pretty soon, he was done. “You know, Mom,” he said, “it’s always good to get a fresh start.”

The beginning of December brings the start of Advent. In the Christian calendar, it is actually the start of the “liturgical year,” meaning the year of worship. Advent is the season leading up to Christmas. In these four weeks, people of faith are called to reset – to experience a fresh, new start. We do this in many ways.

We look back at what we learned about God’s redemptive plan for us. We focus on the future of God’s plan to reset all things through the coming of Jesus, whom we believe encapsulates God’s message of love, joy and peace to all. We commit ourselves to embracing the nearness of God not just at Christmas, but all year long.

The best news about Advent is that it prepares us for whatever God has in store for the future. Christmas reminds us that what God has prepared is for our good and the good of all. So don’t be afraid to put aside the old ways of doing things and to start fresh. That may make all the difference in your life and those of the people around you.