On Thanksgiving my daughter and I attended the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York City. It was an incredible experience. And there were a few lessons I learned about life and faith that I was reminded of on that day that I wanted to share with you.
Arrive Early
We left our home in New Jersey a little before 5:30 am to find our spot before 7 am in the City. The parade started at 9 am. We wanted to arrive early to make sure we got a good spot. There was no guarantee if we arrived late that we would be able to see the parade.
In Advent we talk about Jesus coming. It is never too early to prepare. We don’t know when he will return. We never know when our life will be demanded of us. We always think there will be another tomorrow, but tomorrow is never guaranteed. Are you ready if Jesus would arrive today? We are good at procrastinating and cramming for the exam at the very end. But when it comes to our relationship with Jesus, we simply can’t miss out.
Don’t Follow the Crowd
When we exited the subway and came to street level, we discovered a land of barricades. There were not many options, but of the options we had, we chose to follow the crowd. We figured the crowds must know where they are going. Unfortunately, the crowd was not right. Eventually, we came to a street that had been closed off. It was a dead end. We could not go any further. We had to turn around and go back the way we came.
You have heard that majority rules. We have a way of following the crowd. We don’t want to be different. We don’t want to stand out. But the fact that the majority rules does not make the majority right. We see many examples throughout history where the majority was deadly wrong.
Be Willing to Listen
After we had left the crowd, we came to yet another dead end in an attempt to get to our preplanned destination. But this dead end was in view of the parade route. So rather than go back, we decided to make it our home for the parade. We had found our spot!
As we waited, there were many people who would wander down to our little section of the parade route. Many of them were hoping to pass through just as my daughter and I had done earlier. It was getting crowded so we would tell the people that they could not go any further, and the only option they had was to turn around.
Most people did not believe us. They insisted that they would be able to get through. Rather than argue with them, we would move out of the way and let them go on their way. They would fight through the crowd and to come to the same barricade that hundreds of people had come to earlier. Their only option was to turn around and come back the way they came. We called it the walk of shame. Some people smiled on their way back. Some people hung their heads. Other people came back filled with rage and anger.
We can learn from the mistakes of others. The other option is to learn from our own mistakes. The choice is ours. Are we willing to heed the lessons others have learned on their journeys? Or will we ignore the wisdom of others and plow forward?
Be Willing to Turn Around
There comes a point when you can’t go any further. Are you willing to turn around? This is called repentance. It is to humble ourselves, admit we are wrong, and then to do something about it. Because of our pride, we will often persist in going down our path. But the further we go down that path, the further we have to come back. It is better to turn around sooner rather than later. All those people who failed to heed our advice would have had a much easier time if they had only turned around sooner.
Enjoy the People on the Journey
When you spend five hours on a cold street corner in New York City there is a bonding of strangers. We met people from Brooklyn, San Francisco, Boston, and South Carolina. Each person had their unique story. Each had come to this parade from a different place and for a different reason. The people we met at the parade was as interesting as the parade itself. We are often in such a hurry we fail to notice the people around us. But for five hours we had nowhere to go. We shared our stories and laughed together. Everyone worked together to make sure the kids could see and had a view from the front. It was a beautiful thing. The things that typically divided us did not matter because we had a common goal to all enjoy the parade.
It’s About the Main Event
Why do I share this story? It made me think about the anticipation during Advent of the coming Christ. It’s a lot like anticipation for the parade. It will be the most extraordinary event ever. Jesus is coming! Some will see it. Some will miss out. But make no mistake, that when it happens, nothing else will matter.
“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” (Revelation 1:7, ESV)
Questions for Reflection
- What does it mean to prepare for Jesus’ coming?
- What lessons in life could you have heeded sooner?
- Where do you need to turn around?
- Share your comments.
Awesome writing, as always. Thank You for your gift to us in sharing the Words of God and your teachings! May you and your family have a Very Blessed Christmas!