Enriched in every way
My George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine is sitting in my basement, serving as a lovely stand for our waffle iron. It still works fine, but I think I've only turned it on twice since I unwrapped it two or three years ago.
My mother bought it for me. Every year in mid-November she calls to ask what I want for Christmas, and every year I try to put her off—but she is not to be denied. So I mentally rummage through my closets and, instead of admitting how much I already have, I try to convince myself that I need something. That's when I ask for a George Foreman grill. Yes. I must have a George Foreman grill.
No matter how Christians juggle Advent and Christmas, many will be thinking that they lack something. Shoppers will start off with empty carts. Gift givers and recipients will make lists and wonder what's missing from their lives. If you focus on Christ's first coming, the days of Advent remind you that although the promise is there, the manger is empty. If you emphasize Christ's second coming, it's clear that the Messiah has not yet returned.
