Waiting as a Family | An Advent Story

Advent is a season of reflection and longing for the arrival of Jesus Christ and for him to come back. It’s an opportunity to slow down and consider Emmanuel, God with us. Advent is also an opportunity to do this with friends and family. For Luke Manna, those memories of his family celebrating Advent are the ones that stood out and impacted his whole life.

“I have so many memories probably because fire was involved,” Luke laughed. “We had candles, and we would take turns lighting the candle each night and do a family Advent devotional. My personal favorite was Jotham’s Journey. It was exciting and it put you in the world of Jesus’ birth. I remember my siblings and myself saying, “Don’t stop. Can you read one more!?” Christmas was a time where we slowed down and had intentional family time and remembered the ‘why’ of Christmas and the ‘why’ of our family being in Ukraine.”

Leading up to Christmas day, it can feel for people like an endless marathon and one that happens every day. The tension that consumerism brings plays out in the hustle and bustle of shopping and presents. It also appears in the countless events and activities that occur. All of this can take our eyes off and turn our hearts toward something other than Advent. Luke and his wife Yami have found that it takes some intentional planning and a whole lot of grace.

“Yami and I want our kids to see Jesus as the light that is coming into our world of darkness,” Luke confessed. "This year, Yami found a cool countdown of Joseph and Mary and a candle moving towards a manger."

After Yami and Luke read their Advent devotional, their kids get to move the candle and donkey one more spot closer and then light the candle, remembering that Jesus, the light of the world, is coming. They finish by having one of their kids tear the next ring of a paper chain that has people groups in the world that are still waiting for Jesus to come into their communities. They then mark the people group on a map and pray together.

“That may sound like a lot, but we learned the hard way that it’s got to be simple because we have a three-year-old and a five-year-old,” Luke shared. “We had to get out of our minds the ‘perfect family time’ because it kept us from doing it. So literally while we are eating dinner, we pull out the devotional that is only 1-2 paragraphs long and it connects us to a passage waiting for Jesus to come and what we are looking forward to. The kids then move the candle, and after dinner we pray for our next people group. IF there is time that evening we then do a family Christmas activity. That has looked like either hot chocolate and reading a Christmas book, making cookies, or going to a live nativity.”

It all changed for Yami and Luke when they adopted this realistic mindset of keeping it simple and not having it to be perfect. They have had to consider that there will be days where they can’t do their devotional or Advent activity for various reasons and that it’s okay.

“Shocking with young kids, we have some nights we are rushing to have dinner, have passed bed times, and it is marked more by crying and fits than sweet, peaceful family nights with perfect, holy children...and parents,” Luke shared honestly with a grin. “We realized there will be some nights we need to not force the devotional and do two the next day. And that is OK! This family time is something that is special and we are simply thankful when we can have it together. This really changed Yami and my heart toward the evenings. We have now seen this year pushback from our kids when we don’t do the Advent devotional. They remind us! And that’s been really cool.”

Accepting this reality has been a game changer by removing the pressure and stress. Instead there are now unforced moments of sweet grace and special memories all reflecting the true meaning of Christmas. What has been Luke’s favorite this year? The prayer chain that puts their family’s focus on global missions.

“Yami found a prayer chain where each day is represented with one chain,” Luke described. “Each chain represents an unreached people group in the world, a people that has yet to hear the name of Jesus because there is no one there to tell them. I want our kids to see that Jesus is the light of the world coming to us and how he shines in our home with the candle and everything, but also there are places in our world that have yet to know or experience the light. Jesus is still ‘Adventing’ and moving toward these people. Our kids are starting to see there are dark places in the world where the light needs to shine. When we pray for that people group, we put a white pin on a special map that was gifted to us (but this would be just as powerful on a world map from the dollar store!). Our kids are already noticing that the pins are forming clusters. Those are dark places in the world where it’s hard to be a follower of Jesus, and so many don’t know Jesus because they have never heard.”

Now as a parent, Luke considers what his parents did all those years ago and would tell them a big “Thank you.” They are a huge reason why he is a follower of Jesus today.

“One of the anchor points for that is seeing Jesus so clearly in their marriage and in the imperfections,” he declared. “For them, Jesus wasn’t a game nor a religious to-do list, but someone who they had a relationship with, who they centered their life around, and were openly imperfect. Even if there was conflict, they would come to us kids and confess their sins and need for Jesus. Advent fell into that. It was a season for them that was about Jesus. Not in a religious-game, nor a whiplash moment where this was the only time of the year we talked about Jesus in the home, but instead, Christmas was rooted in the exciting promise and message of Jesus.”

Last year, Advent laid a new foundation for Yami and Luke. It became a rhythm of protected family dinners that they have now kept throughout the year. May this Advent be an opportunity to start or to continue reflecting and longing for Jesus and waiting on the Lord in your own quiet time or with others. Let us all celebrate and know that God is with us because Jesus is born.

Resources:

• Advent devotional
• Prayer chain activity
• Luke’s favorite Advent devotional