The Christmas story is about the birth of Jesus. Not surprisingly, the fourth and final theme of Advent is love.
In Sunday school, I learned that God’s love for us is like a parent’s love for their child. God’s love is all encompassing and everlasting. Because we are human, and imperfect, most parents don’t love everything about their children all the time. But at the moment of birth, a parent has boundless love for their newborn child!
Such was the case when my granddaughter was born 16 years ago. I remember that holy moment, as if it were yesterday.
While the nurse bathed and wrapped the newborn baby girl, her parents embraced, looked into each other’s eyes with great love and promised to be the best parents ever.
I was so privileged to witness that miracle of birth and great love. I stayed out of the way in a corner of the birthing room because it was such a precious private moment for my daughter and her husband. I felt blessed to have participated in that miraculous event. In the blink of an eye my daughter and her husband were transformed by love for each other and love for their newborn daughter.
This month I have been writing my columns on the themes of Advent: hope, peace, joy and love. Because I write about Advent themes every year, it has become increasingly difficult to find a new approach. So this year I have been sharing personal stories. The story of my granddaughter’s birth is one of the most special moments of my life. I have my daughter’s permission to share it with you. As you celebrate Christmas and the end of the year, perhaps you can find time to contemplate hope, peace, joy and love. What are the stories from your life that correspond to these themes?
