An Extraordinary Advent

The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children. — G.K. Chesterton

Artist: Anna Neima (available on Etsy)

My husband sent the above image to me that he came across on X (formerly known as Twitter).

It got me thinking how each year "Christmas" seems to come earlier and earlier. You walk into Hobby Lobby in July and they already have decorations out. It starts then and doesn't stop as the world tries everything to capture our attention with the newest and most extraordinary commercial delights of the season. It makes it all too easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle even when we don't want to, and we feel pressured to have the most extraordinary holidays possible: the most extraordinary gifts, the most extraordinary gatherings, the most extraordinary Christmas decorations....the list goes on!

But maybe we need to recast a vision for what extraordinary truly looks like.

Maybe extraordinary is actually found in the ordinary.

If we think of the Holy Family that would definitely be true. A family that seemed quite ordinary—so much so they were turned away at the inn. And yet the joke was on the innkeepers because they were the most extraordinary family of all time.

So yes, maybe it's the ordinary that needs more attention these days. Maybe it's the hidden life. Giving attention to the ones we know right in front of us and not to the world of screens. Focusing on the things we can create together instead of what we can consume.

With this, we hope you incorporate My Advent Angel in to your "ordinary" Advent.

It's a tradition that encourages reflection, creative play, and reading aloud. It is a beautiful way to keep the focus on Jesus and create lasting memories that your children will treasure for years to come. Sounds like the making of something truly extraordinary.