The Advent season is right around the corner, and communities are already starting to sport Christmas decor. While for many this season is a celebratory time spent with friends and family over tables teeming with delicious food or around a fully decked Christmas tree, remember to make time for the quieter elements of the holidays as December approaches.
One thing seniors at Autumn View Gardens may want to do throughout Advent is to consider the Christmas story. Throughout December, the Bethesda Senior Living Communities main blog page will highlight some elements of the Christmas story, including thoughts on the shepherds and angels. But you don't have to wait to start contemplating the beginning of the Greatest Story Ever Told. Here are some things seniors might take away from the story of Jesus's birth this season.
A Gift You Receive All Year
The story of Christmas is the story of God's gift of His son to the world. It's a gift that you can receive now, during this season, and throughout the rest of your year and life. It's a gift that is perpetually held out to you, and you can choose to accept it now even if you have never done so before. You can also accept it again even if you accept it daily and still receive the newness and blessings that come from doing so.
Whatever your current relationship with Christ is, this is the joyful message of Christmas. If you want to find out more about this trust, Autumn View Gardens has an on-site chaplain that can answer your questions.
Accepting God's Will For You Isn't Always Easy
The Bible is clear that God will make a way, but it never says that way will be a well-paved path without obstacles you'll need to contend with. The Christmas story is an ideal illustration that accepting God's will isn't always easy. Mary and Joseph both had to overcome challenges when God told them Mary would be the mother of His son. And while Mary immediately answers the angel, acknowledging that it would be as God willed, she also was a young lady who had to travel during the late part of her pregnancy, give birth in a manger and flee everything she knew to save her son.
Seniors can take heart that no one is without challenge, but that even in the face of utmost adversity, they, like Mary and Joseph, can trust God.
Moving When God Speaks Brings Great Joy
So many people in the Christmas story move upon the Word of God. The wise men, the shepherds and even Mary and Joseph all act when God commands, and the result is that Jesus is born into the world and his story is told far and wide. Even in your assisted living community, acting on the Word of God can bring joy and blessings to you and to others.
