Advent Wreaths, Cat's Tails, and Sin

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is the Advent Wreath. Since childhood I have loved lighting the candles, spending a special time preparing my heart and mind for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and growing in my faith as an individual and as a family. This year, though, the advent wreath, along with my cat Sassafrass, provided me with an unexpected lesson.
It was late yesterday evening, and I was sitting on the couch reading the day’s advent devotion. The advent wreath, with four candles lit, was sitting on the coffee table in front of me. Sassafrass decided to jump upon the table and walk upon the ledge from one end to the other. From my perspective, I could see what was about to happen. I also had the advantage of knowing how fire feels! Sassafrass, however, does not share this knowledge, at least she didn’t! I was plagued with a dilemma. I knew if I reacted too quickly she would be startled and disaster could ensue. I really didn’t want to try to explain to my insurance company that my house burned down because of the advent wreath! I also had a desire to protect her. I didn’t want her to get burned! I didn’t want her to feel the pain of the burn. I couldn’t move the wreath; I couldn’t touch her. I was stuck watching the entire episode occur. Sure enough, as she walked along the ledge of the coffee table, she came increasingly close to the fire. I gave a verbal warning, as if she could understand (yes I talk to my cat like she’s human), but to no avail. As she passed by the last candle, seemingly safe from danger, her tail started to dance back and forth, eventually passing right through the flame of the pink candle. The air flow that resulted from her dancing tail quickly extinguished the flame. I could smell it immediately. And so could she. The putrid smell of burning hair!
She immediately began to search for the source of the stench. It was evident that she was also feeling the effects of the burn from the candle. But she couldn’t quite figure it out. She inspected both of her sides. She looked at her tail, but decided that couldn’t be it. But you could tell she felt the burn. She started smelling everything around her. The floor, the table, ME! But she couldn’t find the source. Once, she even looked back at the flames of the candles as if to say, “I know you did something, but I just can’t figure out what!” This went on for several minutes. Finally, she decided to nurse the numb feeling in her tail. She sniffed, she licked, she did the things that cats do when they nurse their wounds. And then, she got up and continued on her way, far from the flame of the candles!

I immediately thought of how much her reaction to the situation is similar to our reaction to sin. At times, we walk right into it, getting burned beyond recognition. At times we play with fire/sin, knowing it’s not safe, but willing to accept the risk of the burn for the pleasure of the sin. At other times, just like Sassafrass last night, we walk so closely that we should get burned, pass by thinking we’re safe, and it gets us right when we least expect it. It gets us in our cat’s tail! We can smell it immediately. Most of the time, we can smell it before we feel it! We survey everything around us trying to find the source of the smell, when all along, we just don’t want to see the source. We don’t want to admit that we’ve been burned. We don’t want to admit that we are experiencing the consequences of the sin in our lives. Surely it must be something else. Surely it must be someone else. It’s not me. It can’t be! I didn’t think I was that close to the fire. I was safe! I was careful! That’s right. I was careful. Careful enough to get just as close to the fire as I possibly could without being burned. Careful enough not to heed the warnings of my heavenly father. Careful enough not to get too close to the. Careful enough to be burned by sin, just when I thought I was safe.
Why, oh why don’t I listen more closely to my heavenly Father? Why, oh why do I like to play with fire? Why, oh why do I refuse to recognize the sin in my life? Why is it so hard for me to admit to others that I struggle with sin?
Paul wrote in the book of Romans,

12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:12-14

I want to offer myself to God as an instrument of righteousness! I don’t want sin to be my master! I want to live in the grace and truth that is Jesus Christ this Christmas season. He came to us, as Emmanuel, God with us, full of grace and truth. One of the advent devotions I read this week brought to light the importance of Jesus being grace and truth! For one without the other wouldn’t work. One without the other would not open the doors for everlasting life. May God dwell in our hearts, not sin. May we offer ourselves fully and wholly to God.
Sassafrass is still nursing the burn on her tail, even as I type. I am thankful that in the midst of my sinfulness, I have a Savior who nurses my wounds for me. The wounds exist. The pain is real. There may be scars. But the healer is waiting with open arms. And the comfort He offers is like no other!

Help us, O God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name's sake.
Psalm 79:9