Thanksgiving is when the wheels can fall off.

During this holiday weekend somebody’s going to drink too much. Somebody’s going to say something inappropriate. Some part of the meal will be less than perfect. Somebody who’s not around will be deeply missed. Somebody’s going to cancel.

Holidays are often emotionally charged affairs that can magnify our family dysfunction. Both conflict and compromise arise. While they are also the things family photos and long-time memories are made of, beneath the cheery veneer our humanity shows up to cloud things.

In case you didn’t notice, Thanksgiving always inaugurates the church season of Advent. In addition to marking the Christian ‘New Year,’ Advent invites us to take the themes of pause, preparation, and attentiveness to heart.

On Sunday, we will kick off Advent with a Gospel reading that urges us to, ‘keep awake.’ We are to keep awake to Christ in his many forms, including generosity, charity, and the warm smiles of those we love.

However, Advent also invites us to keep awake to the imperfections of the season - to irritation, inconvenience, and discomfort. These are our growing edges; for growth rarely comes comfortably or conveniently.

This holiday weekend let’s be awake to the myriad of ways God is trying to communicate with us. Let’s accept the gifts of love and friendship, but also be attentive to the imperfections, misses, and miscues. God often speaks to us through them. Advent is here. Keep awake.