Advent Thought 22

There comes a time when, despite careful thought and preparation, the arrangements for one day take over the whole house. The normally pristine dining room table has two extension pieces in and is covered in lists. When did 'peel potatoes' ever have to go on a list before?

The thing is, and this takes most of us by surprise most years, the carefully thought-through plans for Christmas usually crash into real life - a relative taken ill, a complexity about travel arrangements, a missing ingredient.

Let's face it, coming home from church and cooking lunch for nine does not normally cause me to break sweat. Why this one?

Advent thought. Leave some space in your planning for the thing that hasn't happened that you are not expecting.

Angels might not literally pitch up with news, but it is as well to be prepared.