Advent Calendar XI

I find it very easy to get depressed, and the older I get the easier it is.   All of my life I have always been able to look forward to something, something that would make life better, maybe it would just be payday, or a holiday; maybe it would be something more dramatic, a pay rise, moving to a better home, or something totally life changing like getting married, or becoming a parent.

Every now and then I look at my current life, my little flat and micro business which just about keeps the wolf from the door, and wonder "is this it? is this as good as it gets?"   I can't see how I am ever going to earn enough money to make any substantial improvement in my living conditions, I don't expect to find myself in another romantic relationship, or indeed to have an "easier" life.   The life I currently live is not one I ever expected or anticipated, I suppose like most of my generation I expected more or less what my Parents had, or maybe slightly more.

Then I remember that Christmas is coming, and what that means to me. We celebrate the birth of Christ at the worst time of the year, when the days are short, the weather horrible, and there's little in the way of fresh food ~ traditionally before we imported everything it would be root vegetables and soft old apples. But after Christmas the days start to get longer, we start to look forward to the spring, planting the new crops, lambing, and new life. After Christmas we can look forward to summer, even now that is the time of year when we start to see holidays being advertised!

For me Christmas means that everything starts to get better ~ yes the days are longer and I can look forward to spring ~ but I am also looking forward to Easter, to being allowed into God's presence, to being freed, forgiven, and blessed.   Yes Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and without it we couldn't have Easter, we would not have the knowledge of God's love, of being adopted into His family, and of something better to look forward to.