In the days leading up to Christmas, children yearn, acutely aware of the possibility of disappointment. Contemplating the future is always a scary undertaking.
That yearning doesn't entirely go away as we grow older--hope mingled with anxiety about what lies ahead, the maddening uncertainty of it.
In the Gospel of Christmas, Patty Kirk helps us get in touch with our muted hopes and fears and remind us that they are met and given their resolution in the coming of Christ, which Christmas celebrates and Advent anticipates, and all our lives prepare us for.