A Light Advent-ure

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:

they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. - Isaiah 9:2

It's half-past Advent.

It's half-past Advent, and we're on the Advent-ure of noticing light:

waning skylight of day and blinking strings of lights by night;

crackling fireside-light and twinkling eyes lit with Holiday excitement.

But one light feels elusive.

It's the light in "letting our hearts be light."

'Tis the Season to notice light...and darkness.

Both are as natural as Day and Night.

Both are as necessary as waking and sleeping.

Both are as normal as our fluctuating feelings.

Both are needed to see the other and can offer reflection:

Do we get enough (of both) to support and supply our bio-rhythms, our needs?

Do we have enough (of both) to know how to comfort ourselves and others?

The Advent-ure of Advent allows us to mark an "X" on the Christmas Spot of our desire:

Our hearts want to be light, to feel light, to show light.

Isn't this the goal of self-care, in this season and in all seasons?

Our hearts want to be light, feel light, show light...

but mostly to know that light is there even when we can't see it.

This heart-lightening goal of self-care is not selfish in its pursuit of kindness to selves.

This desire to insert some light-heartedness into our days is healing:

it's born of awareness and compassion.

But this kind of care requires time.

Resting. Restoring. Re-charging.

Returning to a lightness of being and refraining from taking ourselves and others so seriously.

Refraining from clinging to our ways and controlling outcomes.

Releasing of worry while recognizing our connectedness to One Who is far greater than the sum of our parts.

And...the God of grace Who has called you through Jesus...will restore you, support you, strengthen you, and ground you. 1 Peter 5:10-11, The Voice

Jesus will?

We won't find that fine-print listed on any glossy pages of "tips for self care."

We won't see those Words included inside the packaged self-care sold to make us "feel good."

What we need is the clarity that true care allows us to know and feel God.

We need a True Carer. A Truth-Carrier.

"In the perfection of faith, the infinite God Himself becomes the Light of the darkened soul and possesses it entirely with His Truth. - Thomas Merton

What kind of care can restore, support, strengthen and ground us? (1 Peter 5:10-11)

Could it be anything but an Infinite and Selfless Love?

"Love comes out of God and gathers us to God in order to pour itself back into God

through all of us and bring us all back to Him...

so we all become doors and windows through which God shines back into His own house."

-Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

True self-care is perhaps best seen as a continuum; it doesn't start or end with us, and it never did.

It's half-past Advent, and the Adventure continues.

Even my new solar-powered Christmas lights wanted to offer enlightenment this Season.

Eight long strands of ample lights arrived, each strand attached to a small, palm-sized solar panel.

In order to use these as indoor lights, I needed to make sure the solar panels were positioned well.

They had to absorb maximum sunlight near the brightest of windows.

When I worked to position them carefully, sometimes adjusting them over the day, the string of lights sparkled beautifully. But sometimes the strings went dark early because the panel had insufficient absorption.

Don't we know it.

This Advent is an ongoing Adventure in chasing Light.

When we make the effort to face the daily light we need,

we face the fact that we rely on the Light from our Higher Power.

Turning Son-ward matters.

Every decision to soak in this Light is for One and for All.