First Tuesday of Advent

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned You have revealed them to the childlike.” Luke 10:21

One place where I encounter God frequently is in children. I have the joy of spending a considerable amount of time with kids, whether through teaching at Catechesis of the Good Shepherd or a special education school, babysitting, or just hearing the laughter of energetic toddlers running around the Golden Center after 10am Mass. The pure and unfiltered love of children so beautifully encapsulates the character of our God. I have known Blue, now 7 years old, since he was born. We spent countless hours attached at the hip during my first year of college, when I was enrolled remotely due to COVID and nannied Blue when I wasn’t in class. Now, we spend precious moments together when I am home for breaks, culminating in significantly fewer hours than before. When I come back after months away, there are many things about Blue that have changed. He is taller, he looks more like his mom, and his hair is longer. As a kid with a rare genetic disorder, I notice newly acquired abilities and the many advancements in his speech. Some things, though, never change with Blue. When I surprise him at school pickup, he always has the same reaction: shouts of excitement, the biggest hug, then we are on our way to the parking lot and Blue immediately starts listing off our favorite jokes—and even some of my most commonly utilized reminders, many of which I have forgotten about. 

“It’s Margaret! It’s Blue! I love you!—Bah bah bah—Must wear seat belt—clap hands!!—disGUSting—Darn it!—door is NOT a toy—play with fan!!—smart smart boy”

As we effortlessly fall back into our comfortable rhythms and pick up right where we left off, I can’t help but be reminded of God’s constancy in my life. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. No matter how long it’s been since I’ve paid God a visit, no matter the many ways I’ve distanced myself from Him, He is right there waiting every. single. time. He meets us exactly where we are and infuses His peace into our lives. There is no amount of time that could ever separate us from God’s unconditional love. 

What a gift it is to see the face of God in the most unassuming of companions—and shouldn’t I expect that is exactly where He would be. I pray that I, and you, can welcome God’s presence in all its forms and see the way God sees, love the way He loves.