Readying my heart to see Him face to face

Dec 21, 2024

Mustard Seed Journeys - Joanne Wong
I can’t believe that Christmas is a few days away and then the New Year will soon follow.

In all honesty, I have been planning for Christmas for a while now; making notes about what I should do differently this Christmas, writing down what gifts to buy, deciding where to go and what to eat for Christmas, planning the activities for the family in December, and just trying to make it a “perfect Christmas”.

Then there is the preparation for 2025! At the office I have been working on plans since September – and am waist deep in work for events in Q1 2025. I know it sounds strange, but I also purchased a planner in September, already plotting in dates that are important to me and meetings I need to attend (yes, I have a few meetings that have been diarised till December 2025 – how efficient!).

I am also on a perpetual spring-cleaning mode around my home, I mean Chinese New Year 2025, is in about a month’s time, so I am trying my best to sort out the accumulated stuff from way back when. There were days when I channelled my inner Marie Kondo – hoping to discard as much as I can with the principle of “does it spark Joy” – and on days when I just get too tired (there are many of them!) I just stuff things in boxes and bags to deal with another day.

Despite the rush and tendency to focus on the external aspects of this holiday season (and life in general), this year it’s been a little different. Thankfully, I am reminded daily about the simplest, most important part of Christmas that I have often overlooked and forgotten… the blessed season of Advent.

At its core, Advent is a time of preparation. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming.” During Advent, we are called to prepare not just for the outward celebration of Christ’s birth but for the coming of Christ in our hearts. It is a reminder that Christ’s birth over 2,000 years ago was only the first coming of the Saviour, we also anticipate His second coming at the end of time.

Advent, which began so coincidentally on December 1 this year, lasts until Christmas Eve, and is a season dedicated to preparing our hearts and minds for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a time meant for us to pause, reflect, and refocus on the deeper meaning of Christmas, rather than really being sucked into “all the things I wrote about above”.

This Advent, I decided to follow Fr Mike Schmitz as he led a daily Advent programme called Face to Face on the Ascension app.

This programme was premised around these questions, “What if Dec 25 was the day that I would die… how would I live my life over these 25 days? How would I live each day so that I can be ready to see God face to face?” We’d have to live with intentionality, with purpose, and with grace.

So, each day, besides the daily readings, there were questions for reflection and a short sharing by Fr Mike. Fr Mike also shared that Advent was a season to prepare for three things:

1. Preparation to celebrate Christ’s first coming
2. Preparation to recognise Him when He comes to us in our daily lives, and
3. Preparation to meet Him when He comes at the end of time, or when He comes at the end of our time

This led me to living Advent differently this year – I spent more time reflecting on the things that mattered most. I spent more time with God’s Word and listened daily to Dr Tim Gray from Formed, who reminds me every so often that we also need to embrace a spirit of penitence during Advent and, though while not as intense as the season of Lent, Advent is still a time for reflection and self-examination, a time to give up something. A time to sacrifice – which is honestly hard to do in this season of merriment, and pretty decorations and delicious food.

And much like Fr Mike, Dr Tim reminded me that Advent was also a time when we can pause and look at our relationship with God and with others. Are we prepared to receive Christ into our lives? Are we making room in our hearts for Him amidst the distractions of the world?

I was also reminded that Advent is a time to focus on the needs of others, to align ourselves with the message of Christ’s birth: that He came to serve, not to be served. Acts of kindness and the Spirit of giving and sharing during Advent should help shift our focus away from the consumerism of Christmas and toward the love and generosity that are central to the heart of the season.

On Formed, there was also a series called ‘Rooted’ which had a daily reflection using the Jesse Tree model – a journey through salvation history, exploring Christ’s ancestors, Scripture, and daily insights. It was my first time learning about the Jesse Tree and I think I might set one up next year and involve my children.

Lastly, as I reflect on this season of Advent, what I have loved most about it is the pause — the moments of silence I carved out for myself, the moments I spent reading God’s Word and reflecting on what His words mean to me, and the moments I listened to music that reminded me of His coming and the waiting for the promised Messiah.

So, while we all wait with joyful anticipation for the birth of Christ, let us prepare our hearts for the Christ child. Let us put aside our busyness, sit patiently in silence and hope, and listen to what God is saying to us. Let us be prepared to meet Him face to face.

(Joanne Wong is on a journey towards having faith the size of a mustard seed. She welcomes thoughts and suggestions on how to have a closer walk with God. Email her at joanne. [email protected])