This week I was reminded that cultivating sanctuary is both a responsive practice—responding to a need as it becomes apparent—and a long game that requires intentionality and planning.⁣ ⁣

Advent has been on my mind this week as we prepare for the upcoming season at my church. Growing up, we had an Advent calendar that was a red felt banner with a Christmas tree on it. I loved the nightly ritual of moving a tiny ornament from the bottom of the banner onto the tree, saving baby Jesus to put in the manger at the base of the tree on Christmas Eve. When we adopted Miss T, I wanted her to experience a similar ritual and for us to have a way to focus on the Jesus story of Christmas and not just the Santa story. ⁣ ⁣

For our first Advent together I searched for an Advent calendar with the nativity; but in all the options I found the people were super white. Our daughter is not white. She is Chinese. We are a multiracial family. Representation matters. It was vital that she see herself in the story of Jesus. I found a pattern for a felt Advent calendar on Etsy and substituted felt in a range of skin colors to replace the lily white original.⁣ ⁣

Now I am not a crafter, so when I sat down to make this Advent calendar I was immediately overwhelmed and set it aside. A year later, last November, I took out the supplies and tools and got to work. I barely finished it in time for Christmas, but I finished it.⁣ ⁣ Finally, this year, we will begin building a tradition with the our new Advent calendar. Miss T is 6 1/2 so we have a lot of years ahead of us to tell this sacred story night by night each December. I don’t know if it will be as meaningful to Miss T as it has been to me, but I’m doing what I can to cultivate a space for her to see herself in the story.⁣ ⁣

What part of your life calls you to consider the long game for cultivating sanctuary?

In what practice or activity might you invest or plan in order to cultivate sanctuary over the long haul?