Stressed? Cue Advent for spiritual and practical relief

Seventeen years ago, on the Monday morning after Thanksgiving, my husband Pete was fired unfairly and without warning. It was a profoundly difficult time, to say the least. We had just bought our first house, battled a life-threatening illness with our second child that required a lengthy hospital stay, and I was pregnant with my third baby in three years. Money was very tight, yet we were required to hire a lawyer to fight for my husband's right to make a living; he's a podiatrist and was being sued (as I mentioned before) unfairly.

It was probably the most brutal season in our lives. Yet it was in this dark hour that the light of Advent broke through, guiding us in every way -- spiritual and practical.

Most of us are familiar with the many practices and spiritual graces associated with the Advent Season, a time when we wait in expectant hope for Jesus to be reborn in our lives in a new way. So, I'll focus on the practical.

After checking out his employment options late into the night while I cared for our children, Pete concluded he had no choice but to open his own medical practice. It was something neither of us had ever wanted and a prospect we both found (for lack of a better word) terrifying. And yet I'll never forget the feeling when morning came, and he announced the name of his new business; he had filed a tax ID number the night before:

"Advent Foot and Ankle," he smiled with tired eyes as he pointed to the calendar -- because as the Holy Spirit would ordain: It was the first day of Advent.

I've been reflecting on that moment a lot lately as so many stressors in my personal life, as well as in the news and on social media, have left me reeling. What strikes me most about that morning 17 years ago is the fact that the changing of liturgical seasons, specifically from Ordinary Time to Advent, resulted in a much-needed, practical change in our day-to-day lives.  

The transition from Ordinary Time to Advent ushered in light and life in a way it never had before -- as a means to pay the bills.

And now, this concept of utilizing Advent in practical ways to alleviate stress and redirect my family's focus in a positive manner -- well, it's a concept I'm running with.

We've dusted off all our Advent reading materials and have bought a few new ones. I'm really excited about storytime each morning with my school-aged children. They'll take turns picking a selection from The Advent Story Book: 25 Bible Stories Showing Why Jesus Came. 

I also love, love, love Who is Coming to Our House? for babies and toddlers. And The Advent of Christ will once again be my own morning devotional, along with a cup of coffee.  

I've written activities on the calendar like: Skip social media today! Take a walk in the woods, gather pine branches, and make a wreath! We're going to take breaks from a few other routine engagements as well -- no one is going to lose interest in piano or karate if we cancel a few lessons this month.

The goal here is less time rushing around and more time seeking out the quiet in order to hear God's voice and better connect with one another. 

Weekday Mass is a goal too -- at least on Wednesdays, since there is one at noon at a parish nearby that also offers the Stations of the Manger afterward.

These are just a few hot-takes off the top of my head; other moms who don't stink at crafting have come up with more ideas that [WARNING] probably involve glitter. But I don't think activities matter so much as shifting one's mindset, lifting one's eyes -- away from the ordinary things of this world and up toward that bright star leading us to Christ. 

The approach of Advent is also a time when I inevitably have to dig through bins of hand-me-downs in search of warmer clothes. As I waded through a box of mittens last night, I got choked up thinking about the day Pete won his court case.

In the weeks that followed, he had a ribbon cutting ceremony in which our extended parish community rallied around him in support of his new practice. Within weeks (rather than months or years, as is the case with most new businesses), he saw a profit and was able to support his family again.

Now, over a decade and a half later, I'm still holding tight to the lessons learned during that delicate season and they're giving me hope in a new way.