Thursday of the Third Week of Advent
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and make good your vows to the Most High
Psalm 50:14
The cold sleet outside causes me to put on a coat I have yet to wear this season. As I reach my hand into a pocket, I discover an unexpected item. Chapstick. In the classic black and white colors.
This is not my preferred lip balm. It was my dad’s. He always had to have some on hand and it was often on my shopping list for him as I took care of him in his last years. Now as I hold the familiar tube, I feel his presence. He is always close to me during Advent, as one of my cherished childhood memories is of him praying the Advent collects around our family dinner table.
I have no idea how the Chapstick got into my pocket. But I hold it with gratitude, remembering my father and all the ways he shared his faith with me. He was one who introduced me to the Advent way as a way of life.
