Today I unpacked the stable. Tomorrow, on the first Sunday of Advent, I will unpack the angel. Each Sunday of the Advent season, I will unpack another figure, another key player in the Christmas story, another person waiting to experience the arrival of the Christ child.
This stable appears to be old and drafty, the way we often imagine the birthplace of Jesus. It was created by my father, so it holds a special significance to me beyond its role in the Nativity scene.
My father was an artist. In my earliest memories he is sitting on the back porch carving wood with his pocket knife. He called it whittling, but he was not mindlessly shaving slivers from a stick. No, he created beautiful wooden sculptures with great skill and precision. When the carving was done, he spent at least as many hours rubbing, polishing, buffing the wood to glossy perfection. He also painted and sculpted in stone, but carving wood was a spiritual practice for him. He saw God in the natural beauty of wood grain.
–from Waiting for Jesus
We are approaching the end of a busy week. You may have prepared your home for guests, cooked a lavish feast, “shopped til you dropped,” carried home a tree tied to the top of your car, attempted to make that same tree stand up straight, untangled miles of lights, watched hours and hours of football, or participated in any number of other holiday traditions.
I hope you are also preparing your home and your heart for the observance of Advent, and I hope you’ll join me here at IdaBethGeschke.com and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Waiting-for-Jesus-225478267868701/ to share thoughts, reflections, creative expressions, and prayers during the Advent season.
I wish you blessings while we wait…
idabethgeschkedotcom 
I loved reading about your daddy… I wish I had one of his Nativity scenes, He loved whittling, I still see him carving away at driftwood at the bay…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I rarely think of him doing anything other than mowing or whittling. Thanks, Kathryn, for stopping by to share.
LikeLike
I love the tranquil tone of your post. It made me relax and also made glad I didn’t have all the rush of holidays as usual. I will take a different approach to Christmas this year, thanks to this project. I feel like a child sitting in the corner, eavesdropping on adult conversation, about to hear something wondrous and mysterious. I’m looking forward to sharing Advent with you. Blessing
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Edna, for those kind words and for your REMARKABLE support and contributions to this project! I literally could not have done it without you, nor would I have wanted to. So. Much. Gratitude!
LikeLike
Today I gathered a few nutcrackers, bells, ribbon and a goose feather tree with 15 red balls. That is it. No more unpacking boxes and boxes of Santa’s, figurines, dishes, wreaths. My home is decorated as much as I can do. Then our Emily came for a visit and she said, “Where are all the Santa’s? “. Guess I am not finished decorating. I am so blessed , thankful, loved and looking forward to this beautiful and traditional Christmas season, Emily has promised to come back and help me.
And I am so enjoying rereading Waiting for Jesus.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad you are enjoying the book! And glad Emily is keeping you on your toes! I wish you the happiest of holidays.
LikeLike
Your writing is full of kindnesses. Thank you for caring for us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome. Just trying to be the change I want to see in the world. (Wish I’d thought of that line!)
LikeLiked by 1 person