Think before you Tweet.

Look before you step.

Or pack at least a day before vacation.

These are all aspects of that perilously elusive word: preparation.

By this we mean a simple blend of foresight and anticipation by which we enter a meeting, vacation, or holiday, with a modicum of serenity at the possibility we have most of the bases covered.

There are two aspects to preparation: our actual state of preparedness and our feelings about our preparedness. We can guess which one is more important to cultivate.

We know that the secret of preparedness is not so much to be kitted out for every possibility, imagining every aspect of what could possibly go wrong, but to adopt a way of looking ahead with a latent knowing that the unexpected is bound to arise and in the end, all will be OK.

Let’s call it an Advent State of Mind. 

We adopt this by spending less time figuring out Plan A, B, and C… and more time living into the a settled contentment over the probable, settled outcome.

Advent preparation, then, means moving into a deeper understanding of God’s hand upon all we do and presence alongside us wherever we go.

So let us prepare for Advent with a fresh resolve to spend less energy on contingency planning, and more effort looking to Christ, in prayer, study, and meditation, contented that this is really the best way to prepare