On your march!
“On your march!” my granddaughter shouted, “Set–Go!” She shrieked with delight as she raced ahead of me down the hallway to her brother’s room (the finish line of the race).
“You ready to go again?” Nodding my agreement, I awaited her command.
“On your march!”
My granddaughter attends preschool and evidently someone has attempted to teach her the preparation words for a race–“On your mark! Get set! Go!” But she clearly enunciates the “ch” sound and commands me to be “On your march!”
I like that…It makes me think of getting ready for action–something important.
It’s the season for preparation–getting ready–the Season of Advent.
Advent means “coming.” Fred Grissom and Steve Bond share this brief summary of the history of Advent:
“Christians of earlier generations spoke of the advent of our Lord” and of “His second advent.” The first phrase refers to God’s becoming incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth. The latter phrase speaks of Jesus’ second coming. In a second sense, “advent” designates a period before Christmas when Christians prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.”
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p. 31
Advent began as a time of fasting
Sermons, during the early years of Advent recognition, focused on the wonder of the Incarnation. By the Middle Ages, four Sundays had become the standard length of the Advent season (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary).
According to this description, we have two things to prepare for:
- The celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Messiah, Christ the Lord. Are we ready to celebrate the greatest gift of love? (John 3:16)
- The second coming of Jesus–Are we ready? (Matthew 24:36-44)
Jesus told His disciples that no one knows the day or hour when He will return, but He warned them to be ready for His coming.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Matthew 24:42-44
In our Sunday worship service today, we lit the first candle on our Advent wreath. The candle of hope. As believers, our hope and faith are in our Lord Jesus. And each day on our walk with Him, we prepare for the day He returns in glory.
So as my granddaughter would say, I ask, “Are you ready?”
Are you “On your march!” with Jesus?
Wishing you hope and joy during this season of Advent.
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. (2003). Holman Reference, Nashville, Tennessee
Your granddaughter’s mispronunciation is actually cute and gives us a new meaning. Let’s “march” forward in our walk with Christ as we celebrate His first arrival and look forward to His second. Blessings to you, Katherine, on this season of Advent!
Yes, we’re marching with Jesus, aren’t we? I’m so thankful we have Him to lead us through these times of strife. Wishing you good health and safety during this season and blessings for your journey.
What a sweet but meaningful introduction, Katherine. Enjoy your granddaughter and all life’s blessings as we enter this special season of the year.
The Lord has blessed me in this season of retirement with the joy of keeping my grandchildren part of each week. Their joy of life is contagious and their energy keeps me young. So much to be thankful for.
So sweet! Yes, let’s march with Jesus. 🙂
I continue to be amazed and thankful for the lessons I receive from my grandchildren. And the love God has surrounded me with. Wishing you a joyful Christmas season, Melissa.
Katherine, your little granddaughter antidote provided a great hook for this post! May we March forward, prepared and ready for our soon coming Savior.
Thank you, Lisa. I’m ready to “march” with you on our journey to serve our Lord (and our journey to better health). Wishing you a blessed and joyful Christmas season.
Your granddaughter sounds precious! Let’s celebrate Christ’s love and march with Him!
God has blessed me by giving me the joy of being with my grandchildren several days a week while their parents work. They exhaust me, but I’m so blessed by the love and joy I receive. God is so good!
Such a cute story of your little granddaughter and a great leadin to help us think about whether we’re ready for Jesus! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family!
I think our “getting ready” continues to be a process, but the wonderful part is–Jesus is with us every step of the way. Thank you for your good wishes. I hope your Christmas is filled with joy and blessings.
I love that. Thank you for sharing this sweet story.
Great analogy as we begin the Advent Season.
Thank you for your kind encouragement, Connie. Wishing you a wonderful and blessed Christmas season.
What a precious story, with such an applicable lesson for the arrival of another Advent season Ms. Katherine. As I read, I couldn’t help but ponder, “Am I ‘marching’ time or am I actually preparing for the coming?” Another stellar post ma’am. Thank you!
Good question, my friend. After reflection, my answer is, “I think I’m doing both and praying for God’s help to focus more on the preparation aspect.” Wishing you and the Cross-Dubya family a blessed and joy filled Christmas.
Love this innocent reminder! Truly the meaning of of the mouths of babes…
I agree, Rose, “out of the mouths of babes.” Early in my teaching career, I worked with elementary age children and was often amazed at the insights and truths they shared. Their words weren’t always complimentary, encouraging, and helpful, but often were wise beyond their years. Each day was a learning experience for me. Now my grandchildren provide me with lessons as I also try to help them along the sometimes painful path of “growing up.” Thank you for stopping by my blog. You’ve blessed my day.
I love this. Children can be our best teachers. “Marching” is more proactive that “marking.” How insightful.
As teachers, we learned so much from our students. I’m thankful for those opportunities and blessed that God has given me the privilege of caring for my grandchildren. Thank you for your kind encouragement, Candyce. Wishing you a joyful and blessed Christmas season.
Love this! I want to march with Jesus. And yes, I’m ready for His return!
Thank you, Debbie. We are so blessed with the gift of “marching” with Jesus. I’m thankful for your ministry, Debbie. Thank you for your service to our Lord.
I love how our grandchildren let us see our faith through fresh eyes. I look forward to the March towards Christmas
Oh, yes! I look forward to the March toward Christmas, too! And the joy we all will share (especially with our precious grandchildren). Wishing you a joyful Christmas and a blessed 2023, Yvonne.
This is a great reminder that we are soldiers in God’s army. I like it!
Thank you, Terri. I agree, we are soldiers in His army and He will guide us. Wishing you joy and blessings on the journey.
Your granddaughter has something there, Katherine. Thanks for relating this cute story to the Advent season in a relevant way. That will stick with me!
Kids are the best. Advent is my favorite time of year. I want to cherish every moment of it.
This is my favorite time of the year, too. I suppose it’s because I’m still that young mother who loved the Christmas season with my children. The joy of celebrating the birthday of our Lord and the joy of being with family–such a wonderful blessings. Wish you many blessings this season, Jen, and good health and happiness in 2023.